McKellen’s Middle Earth return

Sir Ian McKellen returned to NZ in August for the first time since 2003, to perform both Shakespeare’s King Lear and Chekhov’s The Seagull with the Royal Shakespeare Company. McKellen, who reached a new level of global fame as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings, performed at Wellington’s Westpac St James Theatre and Auckland’s ASB Theatre, following dates in the UK, Singapore and Australia. “This is a form of blood sport,” said McKellen in the New York Times. “The fun of going to see ‘King Lear’ is to watch actors toppled from whatever status they have as the part defeats them.” Far from being “toppled”, McKellen has sold out every show and received near-unanimous critical praise for his performances. The RSC now heads to the US, before finishing up at London’s West End. Photo Jocelyn Carlin/Panos for The New York Times