#sir-ian-mckellen

#sir-ian-mckellen

Almost exactly a year ago, London's hippest theatre the Yard closed its doors and moved into an unknown future, as years of cult success and critical acclaim allowed the punky powerhouse - which had been built from scavenged materials with a limited lifespan - to secure the funding for a completely new theatre to be built on the site of the original one.

He took me for an Italian lunch in Pimlico, where we chatted about this and that until he brought up the real reason for his invitation. He had heard about my work to establish Stonewall-a lobby group to present to the government and the world at large the case for treating UK lesbians and gays equally under the law with the rest of the population.

“Babylon,” roared McKellen, who was dressed in a snazzy white and green suit. “Where bricks of mortared diamonds tower/ Sailors lust and swagger, lazing in moon's beam/ Whose laser gaze penetrates this sparkling theatre.”