Sir Ian McKellen on the Vanishing Repertory System and Its Wider Implications

Sir Ian McKellen recalls his first professional engagement in 1961 at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry, a venue funded by an Arts Council grant. He notes that every city then hosted a repertory company producing a new play every two weeks, providing an apprenticeship for actors. He says today there is no repertory company in the UK and no comparable system for training new talent, though audience enthusiasm for live theatre remains strong.

The Guardian

The Belgrade Theatre, opened in 1960, was a British theatre built after World II. Its establishment used public funds and Arts Council support to create hubs. Repertory companies across the country served as production and training venues, letting new performers work with seasoned actors in a rotating repertoire.

The Guardian

McKellen says the disappearance of repertory companies has eliminated an apprenticeship pipeline that once supplied the industry with performers. Without it, actors must rely on drama schools, short contracts, or freelance work, which lack the support of the model. He warns this loss could affect the vitality of British theatre.

The Guardian

After a 1979 performance of Martin Sherman’s *Bent*, McKellen met Alec Guinness, who learned of his role in founding Stonewall, a lobby group seeking equal legal treatment for LGBTQ + people in the UK. Guinness reportedly told him involvement was “somewhat unseemly” for an actor. McKellen also admires the Quakers for their support of gay rights in Britain.

The Guardian

McKellen describes pantomime as an art form that uses a spectrum of theatrical devices—slapstick, song, dance, cross-dressing, and audience participation—to convey moral narratives. He says it offers an introduction to theatre for families and children, preserving a tradition that has not traveled widely abroad.

The Guardian

The interview provides McKellen’s perspective on the decline of repertory theatre but lacks data on training pathways, such as drama-school enrollment or freelance-contract numbers. No industry assessments are presented, leaving a gap in evaluation of the sector’s health.

The Guardian

• “Today, alas, there is not a single rep company in the UK and no comparable system for training new talent.” — Sir Ian McKellen

The Guardian

• “What is unchanged since 1961 is the enthusiasm of audiences for lively theatre, classic or newly written.” — Sir Ian McKellen

The Guardian

• “aphaelhoward Pantomime uses every possible theatrical device to tell its moral tales – slapstick, sentiment, song, dance, verse, cross-dressing, community singing, extravagant costumes and scenery, audience participation.” — Sir Ian McKellen

The Guardian

• “But I stopped worshipping in my teens.” — Sir Ian McKellen

The Guardian

McKellen tours *Two Halves of Guinness* later this year.

The Guardian