Melbourne’s outdoor theatre season will return in full shimmer from 24 January to 28 February 2026, with the Australian Shakespeare Company staging Twelfth Night under the stars at the Royal Botanic Gardens. The production will bring one of Shakespeare’s most playful comedies to life in a setting made for moonlit mischief.
Twelfth Night follows Viola, who washes ashore after a shipwreck believing her twin brother Sebastian has been lost. Alone in an unfamiliar land, she disguises herself as the young man Cesario and enters the service of Duke Orsino.
Her plan unravels quickly: Viola falls for Orsino, Orsino pines for Olivia, and Olivia finds herself suddenly captivated by Cesario. The mix-ups multiply as misplaced passion, disguise, and confusion spiral into irresistible comic chaos.
Australian Shakespeare Company Artistic Director Glenn Elston said, “Twelfth Night is pure theatrical joy. Every prank, mistaken identity, and love-struck mix-up promises to keep the story delightfully off-balance and utterly hilarious. It’s the kind of theatre that surprises at every turn and reminds us why Shakespeare is endlessly entertaining and completely unpredictable.”
Elston directs an ensemble cast led by Peter Houghton as Malvolio, Alex Cooper as Orsino, Henny Walters as Viola, Scott Middleton as Sebastian, Elizabeth Brennan as Olivia, Nichole Nabout as Maria, Jackson McGovern as Sir Toby Belch, Hugh Sexton as Feste, Tony Rive as Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Maddy Somers as Fabian, and Jono Freeman as Antonio.
The production continues the company’s long-running Shakespeare Under the Stars tradition, inviting Melburnians to settle in with friends, family, or a picnic and experience the romance, wit, and sun-drenched anarchy of one of Shakespeare’s most beloved works in the lush surrounds of the Gardens.
For more informa@on, visit www.shakespeareaustralia.com.au
