Ian McKellen's Repeats History with Return to New Wimbledon Theatre in PLAYER KINGS

Ian McKellen’s return to New Wimbledon Theatre in 2024 feels like déjà vu and, that’s because it is. The 1964 pre-West End run of A Scent of Flowers previewed at Wimbledon Theatre, prior to a memorable run at the Duke of York’s Theatre that same year. The exact same trajectory that Robert Icke’s Player Kings will do, with previews at New Wimbledon Theatre ahead of a 12-week run at the Noel Coward Theatre in the West End.

A Scent of Flowers - which centres on a compassionate recounting of a girl’s reasoning for her suicide - opened in Wimbledon to rave reviews culminating in various awards for the cast and crew. The production marked a turning point in Ian’s career, as his portrayal of Godfrey - the stepbrother of the girl the story centres on – was his first London theatre contract.

The role went on to secure him the Clarence Derwent Award for Best Supporting Actor and solidified his name as a theatre legend in the making. Ian has reflected fondly on the experience, recounting stories of sharing a dressing room at Wimbledon with the late Peter Howell, and recreating iconic photographs taken pre-show outside the venue (at the time just Wimbledon Theatre) with cast mates in more recent years on his Instagram.

Although in the years since Ian has famously signed countless London theatre contracts, his return to New Wimbledon Theatre for a pre-West End run of Player Kings in 2024, still marks a new first for the legendary actor, as this wildly anticipated return to Shakespeare will see him playing Falstaff, a role he has previously claimed he would never step into.

Player Kings previews at New Wimbledon Theatre, 1 March – 9 March 2024, ahead of a run at Manchester Opera House and a 12-week West End run. 

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