Sir Ian McKellen joins Player Kings cast as Falstaff

Sir Ian McKellen will star in Robert Icke's (The Doctor) production, Player Kings, which will blend parts one and two of Shakespeare's Henry IV. The veteran actor is no stranger to Shakespeare, having appeared in the roles of Richard II, Coriolanus, Iago, Richard III, King Lear, and Macbeth - in which he starred opposite Dame Judi Dench. Sir Ian also toured his one-person show, Acting Shakespeare, for over a decade in the UK and abroad. He will play John Falstaff in Player Kings. 

The veteran actor is no stranger to Shakespeare, having appeared in the roles of Richard II, Coriolanus, Iago, Richard III, King Lear, and Macbeth - in which he starred opposite Dame Judi Dench. Sir Ian also toured his one-person show, Acting Shakespeare, for over a decade in the UK and abroad. He will play John Falstaff in Player Kings. 

Player Kings will open in Manchester and London next year. The play will condense parts one and two of Henry IV and consist primarily of Shakespearean dialogue.

Regarding film and television, Sir Ian is best known for playing Magneto in the X-Men films and Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. His screen credits include roles in Beauty and the Beast, The Da Vinci Code, Mr Holmes and The Good Liar.

The production is set to open in March at the New Wimbledon Theatre and Manchester Opera House. The West End transfer will have a 12-week run at the Noël Coward Theatre from April to June.