Ian McKellen ‘emotional’ as he opens County Durham theatre space
Ian McKellen expressed deep emotion while opening a new theatre space for Ensemble 84 in Horden, County Durham, praising the company's revival of the professional repertory model. He criticized major UK theatre institutions for no longer employing actors full-time, calling it a loss for the craft. Ensemble 84, founded by Mark Dornford-May, provides local employment and cultural hope in a community long associated with economic hardship.
- ▪Ian McKellen opened the new theatre space for Ensemble 84 in Horden, County Durham.
- ▪Ensemble 84 employs a core cast of 15 local performers and is preparing to stage its third production, Hamlet.
- ▪McKellen criticized the National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company for no longer maintaining full-time acting companies.
- ▪Mark Dornford-May co-founded Ensemble 84, modeling it after the Isango Ensemble in South Africa.
- ▪The theatre is located in the former Our Lady, Star of the Sea Catholic church in Horden.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
‘This fulfils all my romantic dreams I’ve had ever since I discovered the joys of theatre-going and acting,’ said Ian McKellen. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The GuardianView image in fullscreen‘This fulfils all my romantic dreams I’ve had ever since I discovered the joys of theatre-going and acting,’ said Ian McKellen. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The GuardianCounty DurhamIan McKellen ‘emotional’ as he opens County Durham theatre spaceActor says Ensemble 84 in Horden, employing local talent, is how a professional repertory company should beMark Brown North of England correspondentSun 17 May 2026 06.23 EDTLast modified on Sun 17 May 2026 06.24 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleIt’s a chilly spring evening in what was once a Catholic church in a left-behind County Durham pit…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at World news | The Guardian.
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