Introduce your pupils to William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night with this adapted play script for KS2 and KS3. Written for children in Years 5–8, the script combines modern English with some of Shakespeare’s original lines, making the story easier to follow while keeping the humour, romance and mistaken identities of the original comedy.

With 20 speaking roles and parts for up to 30 pupils, this resource is ideal for class assemblies, school productions, drama lessons, guided reading and English lessons. It also includes a PDF teacher presentation to introduce the story and its main characters before pupils begin reading or rehearsing.

About the Play

Twelfth Night tells the story of Viola, a young woman who is shipwrecked on the coast of Illyria and separated from her twin brother, Sebastian. Believing her brother may have drowned, Viola disguises herself as a young man called Cesario and enters the service of Duke Orsino, who is in love with Lady Olivia.

However, things soon become complicated when Olivia falls in love with Cesario, unaware that he is actually Viola. Meanwhile, Viola secretly falls in love with Orsino. Alongside these romantic misunderstandings, a mischievous prank involving Olivia’s steward, Malvolio, leads to plenty of confusion and laughter. When Sebastian unexpectedly arrives, mistaken identities cause even more chaos before the twins are finally reunited and the truth is revealed.

What’s Included

• Adapted Twelfth Night play script
• 20 speaking roles, with parts for up to 30 pupils
• A mixture of modern English and Shakespeare’s original language
• PDF teacher presentation introducing the play and its characters
• An accessible retelling suitable for Years 5–8

Perfect For

• Upper KS2 (Years 5 and 6)
• KS3 (Years 7 and 8)
• Shakespeare lessons and English literature
• Class assemblies and school productions
• Drama and performance activities
• Guided reading and group reading
• Speaking and listening activities
• Introducing Shakespeare to younger pupils
• Helping older pupils understand the plot before studying the original text

This adapted version gives pupils the opportunity to explore Shakespeare through reading, acting and performing without becoming overwhelmed by unfamiliar language. It is particularly useful for introducing the characters, storyline and themes of love, disguise, mistaken identity, friendship and deception before moving on to a more detailed study of the original play.

Whether you’re planning a school production, class assembly or Shakespeare unit, this ready-to-use script provides an enjoyable and accessible way to introduce Twelfth Night to your pupils and explore one of Shakespeare’s best-loved comedies.

A complete Shakespeare classroom play script with 20 speaking roles and a teacher presentation — ideal for bringing Twelfth Night to life in KS2 and KS3!