McKellen, Stewart to Perform 20th Century Classics in Repertory

Magneto and Professor Xavier are getting together on stage. Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart will perform this fall on Broadway in a limited engagement of Harold Pinter’s “No Man’s Land” and Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot.” 

The productions will be directed by Sean Mathias, a fellow Englishman, and played in repertory. A theater and performance dates will be announced soon.

“Waiting for Godot” played a sold-out run in London’s West End in 2009. Prior to Broadway, “No Man’s Land” will play an out-of-town engagement this summer. 

The two actors have appeared together on stage only once before: In 1977, they performed in the London premiere of Tom Stoppard’s “Every Good Boy Deserves Favour," as part of Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee.

In a statement, McKellen said: “British actors are used to playing in repertory, whether for the National Theatre or the Royal Shakespeare Company. We enjoy the challenge of variety, and audiences, myself included, enjoy watching a group of actors in contrasting roles. We hope, at least once a week, to give Broadway audiences the chance of seeing Beckett and Pinter on adjacent nights, perhaps even on the same day."

“All my acting life, I have been drawn to the principals and practice of a ‘company,’ and working with familiar, trusted friends/colleagues,” added Stewart, “whether in British repertory theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company, ‘Star Trek’ or ‘X-Men.’”

As The New York Times notes, Stewart was last on Broadway in 2010 in a poorly receivedproduction of "A Life in the Theater," and before that, in 2008, as the lead in "Macbeth." The plays mark the first time McKellen will be back on Broadway since "Dance of Death" in the 2001-'02 season. He won a Tony Award as best actor in a play in 1981 for "Amadeus."

Rehearsals will begin this summer after McKellen and Stewart finish filming the next installment of the ”X-Men” film series in their signature roles.

Contact Us