Ian McKellen is to celebrate his 8oth birthday next year by raising funds for theatres, with a new solo show which will play on 80 stages across the UK.
It all begins in January 2019 with a Tour of London from the National Theatre to the Theatre Royal Stratford East, as well as performances in the West End and Outer London. Then, across the country, he will visit theatres large and small with which he has personal connections, including amateur groups he knew as a child and notable playhouses he has played in as a professional actor over the last half-century.
Accessibly priced tickets will be available everywhere. All profits will benefit specific causes at each theatre.
His intimate show is a mixture of anecdote and acting, including Tolkien, Shakespeare, others…and you the audience.
Ian McKellen says: “I’m celebrating my 80th birthday by touring a new solo show to theatres I know well and a few that I don’t. The show starts with Gandalf and will probably end with an invitation to act with me on stage. In-between there will be anecdotes and acting. I open at my local arts centre in January and end up by August in Orkney.
Live theatre has always been thrilling to me, as an actor and in the audience. Growing up in Lancashire, I was grateful to those companies who toured beyond London and I’ve always enjoyed repaying that debt by touring up and down the country myself, with the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Prospect Theatre, the Actors’ Company, as well as with commercial productions. Sean Mathias, the director and I have worked together for stage and screen, many happy times.”
IAN MCKELLEN UK TOUR DATES
Ian McKellen takes to the stage at the Harold Pinter Theatre from 20 September – 5 January 2020
25-26 January 2019 | The Space
28 January 2019 | National Theatre, Lyttleton
30 January 2019 | Young Vic
3 February 2019 | Bridge Theatre
4 February 2019 | Richmond Theatre
6 February 2019 | Above The Stag Theatre
10 February 2019 | Hampstead Theatre
11 February 2019 | Arts Theatre
12-13 February 2019 | Theatre Royal Windsor
17 February 2019 | The Old Vic
19-20 February 2019 | Bristol Old Vic
22 February 2019 | Royal Court Theatre
24-25 February 2019 | The Queen’s Theatre
3 March 2019 | Lyric Hammersmith
4 March 2019 | The Questors, Judi Dench Playhouse
7 March 2019 (Mat & Eve) | Duke of York’s Theatre
8-9 March 2019 | Ipswich New Wolsey
10 March 2019 | Theatre Royal Stratford East
13 March 2019 | Swansea Grand Theatre
14-15 March 2019 | Aberystwyth Arts Centre
16 March 2019 | The Hafren
18-19 March 2019 |Theatr Clwyd
24 March 2019 | Theatre Royal Bath
29-30 March 2019 | Maddermarket Theatre
2 April 2019 | The Leas Cliff Hall
5 April 2019 | Chichester Minerva Theatre
12-13 April 2019 | Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
14 April 2019 | Royal & Derngate
17-18 April 2019 | Colchester Mercury
20 April 2019 | Belgrade Theatre Coventry
24-25 April 2019 | Norwich Playhouse
27-28 April 2019 | King’s Lynn Shakespeare Festival
30 April – 1 May 2019 | Oxford Playhouse
3-4 May 2019 | Jersey Opera House
6 May 2019 | Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
7-8 May 2019 | Cheltenham Everyman Theatre
10-11 May 2019 | Cambridge Arts Theatre
13-14 May 2019 | Wigan Little Theatre
15 May 2019 | The Forum Theatre
17-18 May 2019 | Liverpool Playhouse
19 May 2019 | Warwick Arts Centre
20 May 2019 | Blackpool Grand
23 May 2019 | Burnley Youth Theatre
25 May 2019 | The Albert Halls Theatre
28 May 2019 | The Dukes
31 May 2019 | Buxton Opera House
1-2 June 2019 | Curve Theatre, Studio
3 June 2019 | Sheffield Crucible
4 June 2019 | Theatre Royal Wakefield
5-6 June 2019 | HOME Manchester
9 June 2019 | Forum Theatre Billingham
11 June 2019 | The Civic
12 June 2019 | CAST
14 June 2019 | The Georgian Theatre Royal
16 June 2019 | Hull New Theatre
17 June 2019 | Grand Opera House
21-22 June 2019 | Birmingham Repertory Theatre
25-26 June 2019 | Nottingham Playhouse
27-28 June 2019 | Cardiff New Theatre
1 July 2019 | Northcott Theatre
2 July 2019 | Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre For The Arts
3 July 2019 | Marine Theatre
5 July 2019 | The Watermill Theatre
15-19 July 2019 | Theatre Royal Brighton
21 July 2019 | Royal Shakespeare Theatre & Swan Theatre Waterside,
25-26 July 2019 | Lyric Theatre
27 July 2019 | Waterside Theatre
29 July 2019 | The Braid Arts Centre
31 July – 1 August 2019 | Theatre at the Mill
9 August 2019 | Dundee Rep Theatre
11 August 2019 | Pitlochry Festival Theatre
12 August 2019 | Eden Court
14 August 2019 | Aberdeen Tivoli
18 August 2019 | Newcastle Theatre Royal
20 August 2019 | Theatre by the Lake
22-25 August 2019 | Edinburgh International Festival at Assembly Hall,
28 August 2019 | The Orkney Theatre
15 September 2019 | National Theatre
September 2019 | Harold Pinter Theatre
