Sir Ian McKellen’s debut at the Dukes Playhouse in Lancaster last month helped the venue raise more than £23,000 towards its aim to get the annual outdoor Williamson Park show back on the road next summer.
The actor appeared as part of a tour celebrating his 80th birthday, reciting anecdotes and performing extracts from Lord of the Rings and Shakespeare. After the show, he collected donations from the audience to go towards new technical equipment for The Dukes’ annual outdoor production.
Victoria Firth, interim director, said, “we hope our audiences and supporters from across Lancashire, and indeed the UK, will get on board and help us reach our target over the coming months.”
Late last year, The Dukes announced there would be no ‘play in the park’ in 2019. The venue has already raised £53,162 which includes the ticket sales and donations from Sir Ian’s visit and a grant from the Foyle Foundation, and hopes to raise a total of £85,000.