Ian McKellen is heading back to the stage and will star in LEAR.
The show will run from 16 November 2026 to 2 January 2027.
LEAR takes place at the revamped The Yard Theatre.
Catch Sir Ian McKellen in LEAR this autumn.
Curtain up: Sir Ian McKellen is heading back to the stage and will star in LEAR at The Yard Theatre. Located in Hackney Wick, the show will run from 16 November 2026 to 2 January 2027.
The Yard Theatre first opened in 2011. Now, it is making a triumphant return with a new building and renewed ambition. The original Yard gained a reputation for its creativity and cult appeal. Thanks to loyal audiences, it’s back with a fresh new home built on the same site. The new venue is more than twice the size of the original.
Founder and Artistic Director Jay Miller said, “In 2011, I opened The Yard as a DIY theatre that was supposed to be here for six months. On The Yard’s 15th anniversary, I’ll open it again. Same spirit, this time in a better, bigger theatre.
“In the twelve months we’ve been closed, we’ve been playing with shows that pop. A debut play by Troy Hunter; toy dolls playing with Jackie Collins; a brilliant actor performing in ways he’s never performed before. Virginia Woolf, Ntozake Shange, and the world’s worst band, all on the same stage in the same season. They said it wouldn’t happen. It’s happening. Deep breath in.”
At nearly 87 years old, Ian continues to astonish audiences with his energy and passion for performance. In 2024, he suffered an onstage fall, which worried audiences. Now, he will star in LEAR, a one-man reimagining of Shakespeare’s King Lear, adapted by acclaimed playwright Simon Stephens and Jay Miller. The production will blend Shakespeare’s tragedy with reflections drawn from Ian’s own life and experiences, promising something personal and theatrical.
The theatre has also announced its opening programme. Reopening in summer, it begins with Philosophy of the World, inspired by the cult outsider band The Shaggs. That’s followed by The World Is Full of Unmarried Men, an adaptation of Jackie Collins’ debut novel. In the autumn, the programme includes For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange, LEAR, and an adaptation of Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.
The new Yard season and tickets for LEAR go on sale on 28 May 2026. The prices for the play have not yet been confirmed.
Where: Queen’s Yard, White Post Lane, London E9 5EN
When: 16 November 2026 to 2 January 2027
Contact: www.theyardtheatre.co.uk