Twelfth Night

Production

“Mistaken identities, cross-dressing, practical jokes, wicked humour, interrupted romance and happy endings” — Herald Sun

Athenaeum Theatre 2 - Studio • Thursday, 4 March 2027 – Saturday, 20 March 2027

New From $49 Season 2027

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"★★★★★ Flawless"

— Australian Stage

"ROLLICKING NIGHT OF COMEDY UNDER THE STARS"

— THE SCOOP

"A WONDERFUL FAMILY EVENT"

— THEATRE TRAVELS

"THE ENTIRE SHOW IS HILARIOUS"

— THE SCOOP

"THE WHOLE CAST WHERE AMAZING"

— MEET.THE.MORRISONS

"HIGHLY RECOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE THEATRE, PICNICS AND GOOD VIBES"

— WHATPOPLEWEAR.AU

"A FUNNY NIGHT FILLED WITH COMEDY"

— HELLREIZER

"EXCEPTIONAL NIGHT OF SHAKESPEAREAN THEATRE"

— EATPLAYLIVE.MELBOURNE

"A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT PICNIC IN FRONT OF A GORGEOUS STAGE"

— THEATRE TRAVELS

"ANOTHER HIT"

— THE SCOOP

About this production

Following a fantastic sold-out London season, the Australian Shakespeare Company’s Twelfth Night returns with performances specially programmed for school audiences. Bring Shakespeare’s glorious comedy to life for your students at Melbourne's Atheneaum Theatre.

Get ready to laugh yourself silly under the stars as the Australian Shakespeare Company brings back one of its most beloved comedies - Twelfth Night - a “wonderful show, built around an engine of brilliant performances” (Australian Arts Review).

Meet Sir Toby Belch – the man believed to have invented partying; Sir Andrew Aguecheek – dispossessed of any intelligence and naturally silly; Malvolio – a power-hungry puritan who falls from a great moral height when pushed by Sir Toby; and Maria – the housemaid who outwits Malvolio and house-trains Sir Toby. Then there’s Viola, the shipwrecked girl who cross-dresses as a boy to find work, Olivia, the grieving noblewoman who rejects one suitor only to fall for another in disguise, and Orsino, the lovesick Duke whose heart changes course when truth and identity collide.

“Rollicking pop-Shakespeare with an infectious dose of midsummer madness” (The Age), this is “great theatre” (Australian Arts Review) - “an exceptional cast” (Stage Whispers) in a show so full of fun that “Shakespeare would be proud” (The Plus Ones). The Australian Shakespeare Company continues its much-heralded tradition of Shakespeare Under the Stars - a night of laughter, love and lyrical mayhem for audiences of all ages.

Run time

2 Hours 40 Mins (inc Intermission)

Venue

Athenaeum Theatre 2 - Studio

Book your tickets now!

March 2027

MTWTFSS

$69

7:30 PM

$69

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

$69

1:00 PM 7:30 PM

$49

7:00 PM

$49

12:00 PM 7:00 PM

$49

12:00 PM 7:00 PM

$49

12:00 PM 7:00 PM

$69

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

$69

7:30 PM

$69

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

Thu

4 March 2027

$69

7:30 PM

Fri

5 March 2027

$69

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

Sat

6 March 2027

$69

1:00 PM 7:30 PM

Mon

8 March 2027

$49

7:00 PM

Tue

9 March 2027

$49

12:00 PM 7:00 PM

Wed

10 March 2027

$49

12:00 PM 7:00 PM

Thu

11 March 2027

$69

7:30 PM

Fri

12 March 2027

$69

12:00 PM

Sat

13 March 2027

$69

12:00 PM

Tue

16 March 2027

$49

7:00 PM

Wed

17 March 2027

$49

12:00 PM 7:00 PM

Thu

18 March 2027

$69

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

Fri

19 March 2027

$69

7:30 PM

Sat

20 March 2027

$69

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

Available Limited Sold Out Cancelled

Gallery

Creatives

Glenn Elston OAM

Director

Glenn Elston OAM has directed over 250 seasons Shakespeare, Classic Works, Musicals and Family Theatre. A prominent figure in Australian theatre, he is particularly known for pioneering outdoor picnic theatre in Australia and creating immersive, family-friendly experiences that have become beloved traditions. Elston began his journey in 1987, forming a small performance collective that has since grown to be Australia's largest independent theatre company. His dedication to making Shakespeare and other classic stories accessible to a broad audience has led to the production of iconic outdoor performances, particularly during the summer season, attracting audiences from across the nation. His repertoire includes celebrated productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III, Comedy of Errors, Henry IV - Part I, Richard III, Merry Wives of Windsor, Hamlet, Macbeth, and As You Like It. Beyond Shakespeare, he has written and directed original stage adaptations of beloved stories like The Wind in the Willows, Alice in Wonderland, Toad’s Birthday Party, The Caribbean Pirates, Jack and the Beanstalk, Tinkerbell and the Dream Fairies and Jungle Book – The Next Chapter. His productions of classic texts includes Lady Chatterley's Lover, Wuthering Heights, The Crucible and Pygmalion. In 1987, Glenn was founding producer of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival which has gone on to become the 3rd largest comedy festival in the world. Glenn also was a founding member of the Melbourne Comedy Club, originally based at the Hilton Hotel and formed with Rita Rudner, Martin Bergman, Michael Edgely Group, Greg Hocking and Tim Woods. In 1990, Glenn was co-producer of Hair which opened in Melbourne and then began a tour around Australia. Glenn took over as tour director in Sydney and travelled with the production to venues in Camperdown, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth, Townsville, Cairns, Kuranda, Darwin, Wollongong, Launceston, Hobart, Newcastle and Tweed Heads. In 2002, He adapted and directed Much Ado About Nothing into a rock musical with his regular songwriting collaborator, Paul Norton. This adaptation has toured Australia and has enjoyed sold out seasons in many Australian capitols. Six of Glenn’s productions have appeared in five different Adelaide Festivals. Since 2003, Glenn has been collaborating with Djilpin Arts and co-presented the Walking with Spirits festival - a powerful celebration of Aboriginal traditions held at Malkgulumbu (Beswick Falls) in the Northern Territory. This partnership is this ongoing. Furthermore, in 2010 he produced Noel Tovey’s acclaimed production Little Black Bastard to the Edinburgh’s Gilded Balloon, further amplifying Indigenous voices on the international arts scene. In 2014, Glenn directed and designed a new Australian touring production of Godspell the Musical which played seasons at Arts Centre Melbourne, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Traralgon, Sale, Warragal and the Sydney Opera House. Glenn has produced many local and international acts over the years including Sir George Martin in Concert with Glenn Shorrock, The John Farnham Band, James Rayne & Tommy Amanuel (QPAC, Hammer Hall at Arts Centre Melbourne and the Sydney Opera House), David Strassman, The Heartbreak Kid, Blues in the Night, The Life and Death of Sandy Stone (Barry Humphries), Five Guys Named Moe, Bitch! Dyke! Faghag! Whore! (Penny Arcade), A Stretch of the Imagination and three Australian Tours of Marianne Faithfull including a special performance of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins. In recognition of his contributions, Glenn Elston was honoured with a Melbourne Award for Contribution to Melbourne's Profile by an Individual in 2014 and the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2018 for his service to the performing arts. He is the Artistic Director of the Australian Shakespeare Company (ASC) and a director at A.T. Management. This year, Glenn is bringing three productions to London's Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It will mark his seventh season there.

Paul Norton

Musical Director

Sue-Ellen Shook

Choreographer

Videos

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Venue

Athenaeum Theatre 2 - Studio

188 Collins St Melbourne CBD VIC

Venue info

Phone: 0386767511 • Email: boxoffice@shakespeareaustralia.com.au

Audience reviews

Share your thoughts after seeing the show.

19 Aug 2026

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Absolutely Brilliant

Musical, funny, brilliantly acted, creative and engaging from beginning to end. Thoroughly recommend. Tempted to go again tomorrow night - it was that good….

William Burton Family-friendly,Classic fans

8 Aug 2026

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A superb evening

We all very much enjoyed this superb show. It was full of energy, (great) audience interaction, some VERY funny moments, added material and asides which created an atmosphere that I felt was very much in keeping with the spirit of a true Shakespearean experience.

A wonderful…

Stuart Butler Family-friendly,Date night,Accessibility,Classic fans

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