Antonio! is an award winning queer punk pirate musical starring Shakespeare’s ultimate love interest.

Featuring an all-queer cast and a raw, unapologetic sound, Antonio! brings new life to the Bard’s canon in a way that’s fierce, fun, and utterly unforgettable

What if The Bard wasn’t just reusing a character name, but was instead inspired by one hopelessly romantic pirate looking for love in all the wrong places? Antonio! reimagines all of Shakespeare’s Antonios as one proudly queer pirate stealing hearts and booty on the high seas - that is, when he’s not in London, regaling his playwright lover William Shakespeare with tales of love and adventure. Fed up with Will taking his stories but erasing their gay content, Antonio takes the stage with his band The Fools for Love to take the audience on a journey through his love stories that inspired The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night and The Tempest.

In 2023 Antonio! Premiered at The Tank in New York City. It went on to a highly successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. At the Fringe, Antonio! sold out 8 out of 10 performances and got ten four and five-star reviews. On its Australasian tour in 2025, Antonio! continued to wow audiences and won the Best New Music award at the Wellington Theater Awards..

Antonio! is “the cult classic that we all deserve” - Broadway Baby

“This show is such a joy; it’s hilarious, it’s camp, it’s well acted, the script is clever, the music is great.” - The Edinburgh Reporter