Ian McKellen on Stage: With Tolkien, Shakespeare, Others and YOU | |
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![]() Poster for the UK and Ireland tour | |
Written by | Ian McKellen (performer) Various writers |
Based on | Career of Ian McKellen |
Date premiered | 3 July 2017 |
Place premiered | Park Theatre, London |
Original language | English |
Genre | One-person show |
Ian McKellen on Stage: With Tolkien, Shakespeare, Others and YOU is a one-man stage performance by English stage and screen actor Sir Ian McKellen.
The performance sees McKellen reprising roles over his career in the theatre (such as the works of William Shakespeare), on film (such as Gandalf in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings film series) while discussing anecdotes throughout his life and career.
All profits for ticket sales were donated to each venue and organisation for specific causes or an arts-related charity.
McKellen first presented the show as Ian McKellen with Shakespeare, Tolkien, Others & You at the Park Theatre, London from 3 to 9 July 2017, directed by Jez Bond. [1]
To celebrate his 80th birthday, McKellen toured the show across the UK and Ireland from January to September 2019, directed by Sean Mathias and produced by the Ambassador Theatre Group. The tour dates were as follows; [2]
Date | City | Venue |
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25 January 2019 | London | The Space |
26 January 2019 | ||
28 January 2019 | National Theatre (Lyttleton) | |
30 January 2019 | Young Vic | |
1 February 2019 | Rose Theatre Kingston | |
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 February 2019 | Windsor | Theatre Royal, Windsor |
13 February 2019 | ||
15 February 2019 | London | Piccadilly Theatre |
17 February 2019 | The Old Vic | |
19 February 2019 | Bristol | Bristol Old Vic |
20 February 2019 | ||
22 February 2019 | London | Royal Court Theatre |
24 February 2019 | Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch | |
25 February 2019 | ||
26 February 2019 | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art | |
1 March 2019 | Donmar Warehouse | |
3 March 2019 | Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith | |
4 March 2019 | The Questors Theatre | |
7 March 2019 | Duke of York's Theatre | |
8 March 2019 | Ipswich | New Wolsey Theatre |
9 March 2019 | ||
10 March 2019 | London | Theatre Royal Stratford East |
13 March 2019 | Swansea | Swansea Grand Theatre |
14 March 2019 | Aberystwyth | Aberystwyth Arts Centre |
15 March 2019 | ||
16 March 2019 | Newtown | Hafren |
18 March 2019 | Mold | Theatr Clwyd |
19 March 2019 | ||
24 March 2019 | Bath | Theatre Royal, Bath |
25 March 2019 | Ilfracombe | Landmark Theatre |
29 March 2019 | Norwich | Maddermarket Theatre |
30 March 2019 | ||
2 April 2019 | Folkestone | Leas Cliff Hall |
5 April 2019 | Chichester | Minerva Theatre, Chichester |
10 April 2019 | Southampton | Nuffield Theatre |
12 April 2019 | Bury St Edmunds | Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds |
13 April 2019 | ||
14 April 2019 | Northampton | Royal & Derngate |
16 April 2019 | Frinton-on-Sea | Frinton Summer Festival |
17 April 2019 | Colchester | Mercury Theatre, Colchester |
18 April 2019 | ||
20 April 2019 | Coventry | Belgrade Theatre |
24 April 2019 | Norwich | Norwich Playhouse |
25 April 2019 | ||
27 April 2019 | King's Lynn | Guildhall of St George |
28 April 2019 | ||
30 April 2019 | Oxford | Oxford Playhouse |
1 May 2019 | ||
3 May 2019 | Jersey | Jersey Opera House |
4 May 2019 | ||
6 May 2019 | Aylesbury | Aylesbury Waterside Theatre |
7 May 2019 | Cheltenham | Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham |
8 May 2019 | ||
10 May 2019 | Cambridge | Cambridge Arts Theatre |
11 May 2019 | ||
13 May 2019 | Wigan | Little Theatre |
14 May 2019 | ||
15 May 2019 | Stockport | Forum Theatre |
17 May 2019 | Liverpool | Liverpool Playhouse |
18 May 2019 | ||
19 May 2019 | Coventry | Warwick Arts Centre |
20 May 2019 | Blackpool | Grand Theatre, Blackpool |
23 May 2019 | Burnley | Burnley Youth Theatre |
25 May 2019 | Bolton | The Albert Halls |
28 May 2019 | Lancaster | The Dukes |
31 May 2019 | Buxton | Buxton Opera House |
1 June 2019 | Leicester | Curve |
2 June 2019 | ||
3 June 2019 | Sheffield | Crucible Theatre |
4 June 2019 | Wakefield | Theatre Royal, Wakefield |
5 June 2019 | Manchester | HOME |
6 June 2019 | ||
9 June 2019 | Billingham | Forum |
11 June 2019 | Barnsley | Civic |
12 June 2019 | Doncaster | Cast |
14 June 2019 | Richmond | Georgian Theatre Royal |
16 June 2019 | Hull | Hull New Theatre |
17 June 2019 | York | Opera House |
21 June 2019 | Birmingham | Birmingham Repertory Theatre |
22 June 2019 | ||
25 June 2019 | Nottingham | Nottingham Playhouse |
26 June 2019 | ||
27 June 2019 | Cardiff | New Theatre, Cardiff |
28 June 2019 | ||
1 July 2019 | Exeter | Northcott Theatre |
2 July 2019 | Poole | Lighthouse |
3 July 2019 | Lyme Regis | Marine Theatre |
5 July 2019 | Newbury | Watermill Theatre |
15 July 2019 | Brighton | Theatre Royal, Brighton |
16 July 2019 | ||
17 July 2019 | ||
18 July 2019 | ||
19 July 2019 | ||
21 July 2019 | Stratford-upon-Avon | Swan Theatre |
Royal Shakespeare Theatre | ||
25 July 2019 | Belfast | Lyric Theatre |
26 July 2019 | ||
27 July 2019 | Derry | Waterside Theatre |
29 July 2019 | Ballymena | The Braid |
31 July 2019 | Newtownabbey | Theatre at the Mill |
1 August 2019 | ||
9 August 2019 | Dundee | Dundee Repertory Theatre |
11 August 2019 | Pitlochry | Pitlochry Festival Theatre |
12 August 2019 | Inverness | Eden Court Theatre |
14 August 2019 | Aberdeen | Tivoli Theatre |
18 August 2019 | Newcastle upon Tyne | Theatre Royal, Newcastle |
20 August 2019 | Keswick | Theatre by the Lake |
22 August 2019 | Edinburgh | Edinburgh International Festival |
23 August 2019 | ||
24 August 2019 | ||
25 August 2019 | ||
28 August 2019 | Orkney | Orkney Theatre |
15 September 2019 | London | National Theatre (Olivier) |
Following the success of the UK and Ireland tour, it was announced that McKellen would perform the show at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London's West End for a limited run from 20 September 2019 to 5 January 2020. [3]
For one night only on the 5 November 2019, McKellen performed the show at the Hudson Theatre on Broadway as part of the Only Make Believe charity. [4]
The show was recorded during the run at the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End by the National Theatre where it can be rented [5] or seen as part of a subscription, [6] and released on Amazon Prime on 11 June 2021.
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