Fit for a king: Ian McKellen to play Lear at newly rebuilt Yard theatre in east London

Role marks a major return for the actor after falling off the stage in 2024 and is a coup for the forward-thinking theatre

Ian McKellen is to play King Lear in his first major theatrical role since falling from the stage into the first row of the audience in 2024.

The accident, which left him with “agonising pains”, happened during a performance of Player Kings in the West End and led McKellen to withdraw from the production. He will now return as Shakespeare’s Lear – a character he played to great acclaim in 2007 and 2017 – in the opening season of the redeveloped Yard theatre in east London, known for its DIY spirit and adventurous experimental work with emerging artists.