Theatre News

Ian McKellen: I'd love to do a musical

What role should he take on?

Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
© Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage

Stage star Ian McKellen, who is about to make a fun appearance in the Park Theatre's Whodunnit (though we aren't entirely sure when) in the detective role has announced he'd love to do a musical.

Chatting on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, McKellen admitted when asked what projects he'd still like to tackle: "Areas of theatre I'd love to work in – one would be the musical…I don't feel I've got much to prove in my career anymore, so why not just do the things I enjoy doing? But I do like getting in front of an audience and entertaining them and this would be a new way of doing it."

When asked by the presenter if he can sing, he responded, "In the bath, in the shower, in private – I have sung occasionally…I can hold a tune, but I'm not a pop singer…I am available but incompetent!"

McKellen has done a few musical projects on film, including Cats (maybe he's scrubbed that from his memory) and the live-action version of Beauty and the Beast. What role would you want to see McKellen tackle?

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Whodunnit (Unrehearsed) 2

Closed: 12 March 2022