Taylor Russell to join Ian McKellen in his first major theatre role since fall

Canadian actress Taylor Russell will be joining Sir Ian McKellen in a reimagining of Shakespeare’s King Lear this winter.

The production will be staged at The Yard Theatre in Hackney Wick from November 17 to January 2, and new dates have been added because of high demand.

Its initial run sold out in under 30 minutes, and additional shows have been scheduled for December 12, Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

Tickets for the new dates will be available for the general public from 12pm on November 5, with several presales taking place beforehand.

The Yard has also added shows on December 9 and 16 prioritising local secondary schools in Tower Hamlets, Newham, Hackney and Waltham Forest, with tickets starting from free.

Sir Ian will star in Lear as the title character, marking his first major theatrical endeavour since his fall while performing in Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre in June 2024.

The star broke his wrist and chipped a vertebra during the incident, and afterwards said he planned to take some time off but had no plans for retirement.

Russell, known for films such as Bones And All and Escape Room, will star alongside him as Cordelia, the youngest daughter of King Lear.

The actors will also be joined onstage by an ensemble of knights.

The production has been reimagined by Simon Stephens and Jay Miller, and has been built around William Shakespeare’s original text and recorded conversations had by Sir Ian during the making of the play.

The show will be part of The Yard’s first season in its new building, following the opening of its original venue in a warehouse in 2011.

The original building has been demolished and replaced with an entirely new venue on the same spot, designed by Takero Shimazaki Architects.

The new building features a curved auditorium incorporating reused brick from the original venue.

Miller, the artistic director of The Yard, said: “We are working with one of the greatest actors of an older generation, and we have the privilege of also working with one of the most exciting of a newer one.

“Taylor Russell is an extraordinary addition to our company, she is intuitive, sensitive and completely compelling to watch on stage.”

Co-writer Stephens said: “To sit in a church hall in east London while Ian McKellen finds the rage and beauty and humanity of Lear has been an experience I will always treasure.

“How many artists ever made their boldest experiments in their 80s?

“His poetic intelligence is matched only by his cheekiness.

“At a time when theatre can default towards the familiar because it brings a sense of safety, it is energising to be at The Yard with Ian and Jay Miller.

“The Yard is a beacon of boldness and, with that, of wonder.”