Sir Ian McKellen to appear as Gandalf on London stage

Sir Ian McKellen will reprise his role as Gandalf for a new one-man show to raise money for a London theatre.

Shakespeare, Tolkien, Others & You, which will have only nine performances, will also see the Lord of the Rings and X-Men star perform as Macbeth together with other roles the actor has played during his six-decade career.

In addition, audiences will be allowed to ask questions and participate.

Proceeds from the show will go towards helping in Finsbury Park, north London, of which he is one of the key ambassadors.

Announcing his special show, McKellen said that in "a short time", the theatre had "established itself on both the theatrical and local maps", reports the BBC.

However, it needed donations of £250,000 every year "just to keep the doors open", he added, telling fans: "I do hope you'll support this wonderful cause."

Jez Bond, artistic director at Park Theatre, said: “[McKellen] has donated his time to help raise vital funds by performing this show and I am honoured to be working with him to bring it to the stage.”

Twice nominated for an Oscar, McKellen's CV ranges from Shakespeare to Coronation Street. He starred as Gandalf the wizard in all three Lord of the Rings films, as well as The Hobbit trilogy.He was also celebrated for his portrayal of Macbeth in 1976, played opposite Judi Dench.

But there is one role he will not do – the actor turned down more than a million pounds to appear as Gandalf at a wedding, reports the Daily Mail.

He said: "I was offered £1.5m to marry a very famous couple in California, which I would perhaps have considered doing but I had to go dressed as Gandalf. So I said, 'I am sorry, Gandalf doesn’t do weddings.'"

Tickets have already sold out for Shakespeare, Tolkien, Others & You, which runs at Park Theatre from 3-9 July. However, more will be available on 15 May.