𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

McKellen said the actors involved had “relished the chance to explore a new way of acting”.

“New York has already been impressed with the result. Now it’s Manchester’s turn,” he added.

West End star Arinze Kene, and Rosie Sheehy, best known for her starring role in Guess How Much I Love You, complete the cast.

Sheehy described the making of the production as “a true adventure”, adding: “Experimenting with what theatre can be is always a thrill – when the boundaries are being stretched this far it can feel terrifying at times.

“However, being surrounded by such an extraordinary group of people took away that fear and replaced it with excitement and reward.

“It felt very good to be part of it all.”

McKellen moved to Wigan as a child, but remained faithful to his Burnley roots, and performed at Burnley Youth Theatre in 2019 as part of his 80th birthday tour.

The production will run from 27 March to 10 April.