Twelfth Night: 1941 | A new play by Ellyn Heald, December 9

Living Room Productions presents

London. January 5th, 1941. The twelfth day of Christmas. A troupe of actors mount a performance of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy during the Blitz.

Written & directed by Ellyn Heald (and William Shakespeare)
Music by Will Healy & Ellyn Heald

December 9–19, 2026
Episcopal Actor's Guild, New York

Ticket information coming soon.

Industry reading

October 16, 2026
A.R.T. New York

Contact for tickets

Give now Sponsor a character

January 5, 1941

The Story

On one of the coldest nights of the century, a troupe of actors gather at the local church hall to mount Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’.

In the morning, James, one of their leading men, ships out to war. No one says it, but everyone knows this is the last night they’ll all be together. Old tensions surface fast, and a scheme is hatched to give him a send-off worth remembering.

Grief and gallows humor bleed into Shakespeare’s comedy of mistaken identities, and what emerges is a singular theatrical experience that embraces the chaos, joy, and beauty of the reality around them – that can’t seem to escape the horrors of the war happening right outside the door.

For one night, four hundred years of mirth and melancholy find new life, held together by music, nerve, and a dash of holiday magic.

Sponsor a character

The Players

Backstory

The World of 1941

In the early 1940s…

…actor-manager Donald Wolfit led his Advance Players Association, a troupe that performed Shakespeare plays across England to war-weary audiences.

He paid for the productions out of his own pocket, and laid out black market ham sandwiches and coffee for his grateful, thronging patrons. The British Government soon deemed his work as essential for morale, while newspapers of the day said there was “no better national service” one could perform in wartime.

Rows of war workers, seated and watching a lunchtime entertainment in a canteen — An audience for wartime lunchtime entertainmentImperial War Museums, TR 968. Public domain.

The Blitz

Performances continued during the Blitz, even as air raid sirens wailed. Audiences were told they could “depart quickly and without excitement.”

Most stayed.

Our production explores our insatiable need to hear and tell stories that can both reflect our collective experience and dissolve the tension of a world on fire.

People sleeping in rows along the platform of Aldwych Underground station during the Blitz — Sheltering in Aldwych Underground station, 1940Imperial War Museums, D 1675. Public domain.

Twelfth Night

January 5th, 1941. The twelfth day of Christmas.

Resonance

Just as Viola washes ashore in a strange land, and Olivia suffers the loss of her family, our actors find themselves shipwrecked in their own city, with so many of their homes and streets reduced to rubble.

For all of them, and perhaps for us, the path through the darkest days is the same: choosing joy in the face of mortality. Gather together, tell stories, laugh, play music – and live fully, in defiance of the dark.

Two women salvaging potted plants and a clock from their bombed house — Salvaging what they could from a bombed house, London, 1940Imperial War Museums, HU 36206. Public domain.

Latest

News & Updates

No updates yet. Check back soon.

Support Twelfth Night: 1941

If you’re interested in supporting this show and helping it become a reality, please do consider giving to our project.

Living Room Productions · 1941

Ration Book

Twelfth Night: 1941
Production Fund

25 of 45 coupons stamped · $19,314 still needed

$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000Claim
$1,000Claim
$1,000Claim
$1,000Claim
$1,000Claim
$1,000Claim
$1,000Claim
$1,000Claim
$1,000Claim
$1,000Claim
$1,000Claim
$1,000Claim
$1,000Claim
$1,000Claim
$1,000Claim
$1,000Claim
$1,000Claim
$1,000Claim
$1,000Claim
$1,000Claim

Each coupon is $1,000 toward the $45,000 goal.

Ways to donate

GiveLivelyFor online individual donations
BenevityFor corporate matching donations
Check or money order
Make payable to: Satellite Collective c/o Living Room Productions
115 E DAYTON ST
Fremont, Michigan 49412-1292
United States

Our commitment to fair pay

Nearly half of our budget goes directly to the artists.

This is rare in independent theater. We believe it’s the only ethical way to work. Your contribution funds people, not overhead.

What we need

Actor, designer, musician, creative team fees$20,000 44%

Stipends for 10 actors, 3 musicians, creative and production team
Space & venue$10,800 24%

3.5 weeks of rehearsal space and 2.5 weeks of performances
Production & design$7,800 17%

Immersive set, period costumes for 13 people, props
Marketing & outreach$4,600 10%

Press, design, and audience development
Operations$1,800 2.5%

Administration, insurance, and contingency

Total goal$45,000

Creative team

The Company

Ellyn HealdWriter, Director, Producer
Will HealyComposer
Laura CarswellProducer
Martin KempProducer
Kaileela HobbyAssociate Producer

Production timeline

7–8 February 2026First workshop weekend
31 May 2026Staged reading at The Shakespeare Forum
18 July 2026Staged reading in the Hudson Valley
16 October 2026Industry presentation at A.R.T. NY
9–19 December 2026Performances at the Episcopal Actor’s Guild

About Living Room Productions

Founded by professional actors and graduates of the world-famous London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, Living Room Productions started in 2023 in Ellyn’s Brooklyn living room, where a group of friends would regularly get together to read plays and share new works in progress.

These ‘artist potlucks,’ as they were lovingly nicknamed, grew into a beloved community event and eventually led to LRP’s first fully mounted productions in 2025. Following the success of its inaugural season, LRP became a Fellow of the Satellite Collective, a prestigious arts incubator and 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor.

LRP is a fiscally sponsored, 501(c)(3) theatre company dedicated to reviving classics, empowering new and underproduced voices, and the radical idea that art is best made in community. We produce theatre that is intimate by design and ambitious by nature.

Good to know

What is Twelfth Night: 1941 about?

Inspired by incredible true events, in the midst of the relentless raids on London in early 1941, a troupe of actors must relocate their production of Twelfth Night to a church hall after their theatre was bombed out the night before. Against the odds, and with half their orchestra and stage manager missing, they piece together a show, but the reality of life outside the theatre is never far away.

When and where can I see it?

December 9–19, 2026 at the Episcopal Actor's Guild in New York. Ticket information will be announced here.

How long is the show, and who is in it?

The show runs 90 minutes with 9 actors, 3 musicians, and original live music throughout.

Who made it?

Written and directed by Ellyn Heald (and William Shakespeare), with music by Will Healy and Ellyn Heald. It is produced by Living Room Productions.

Is it based on a true story?

It is inspired by incredible true events. In the early 1940s, actor-manager Donald Wolfit led his Advance Players Association, a troupe that performed Shakespeare plays across England to war-weary audiences, and performances continued during the Blitz even as air raid sirens wailed.

How can I support the production?

Give online through GiveLively, through Benevity for corporate matching, or by check to Satellite Collective c/o Living Room Productions. You can also sponsor a character’s costume and supplies. Living Room Productions is fiscally sponsored by Satellite Collective, a 501(c)(3).

Get in touch

Contact us

For industry reading details, press, or anything else, write to us and we’ll get back to you.