Ruth Leon recommends… Ian McKellen’s 80th giveaway

Ian McKellen on Stage – National Theatre
Amazon Prime Video   www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B096Y44CMV/ref=atv_dl_rdr?autoplay=1

From June 11 in UK and Ireland only
For the past few years, Ian McKellen has been touring the world with a one-man show of his life and work, anecdotes and performance, mainly Shakespeare, which you’ve heard me rave about before. He devised his solo show to celebrate his 80th Birthday year, earning £3 million for over 80 UK theatres. Through proceeds of its extended run at London’s Harold Pinter Theatre, which went to British theatre charities, further fundraising and the broadcast distribution of the show, the total money raised for the theatre industry is now over £5million.

With extraordinary generosity, he has given the entire proceeds of his tour to the theatres where he has performed throughout his career, and, through the National Theatre and Amazon Prime Video broadcast of this celebrated show, and an extended West End run, raised more than £5 million, created a fund for emerging producers to cover actors’ salaries.

Distributed via ATG Productions, multiple funding rounds will offer grants of up to £25,000 to pay actors’ wages for both new plays and revivals across UK Theatres, as long as they employ 6 actors or more and include a recent graduate from a theatre training school. Further information including eligibility and how to apply can be found at ianonstage.com.

If you haven’t seen Ian McKellen on Stage  you really should.

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