All the world's a stage

Audience members join Sir Ian McKellen on stage during a scene from Shakespeare's Henry V at the first of two sellout shows at the Wanaka Lake Centre over the weekend.

About 150 people attended on Saturday night and again yesterday for the Wanaka shows, which were part of a national 11-stop tour of Ian McKellen on Stage to raise money for the restoration of the earthquake-damaged Isaac Theatre Royal, in Christchurch, where Sir Ian performed in Waiting for Godot.

His one-man show featured Sir Ian performing his Shakespeare and Tolkien repertoire, and audience participation, with people asking about his life and career, and climbing on stage to help during some scenes.

Sir Ian is in New Zealand reprising his Oscar-nominated character Gandalf in The Hobbit films. The final stops on his tour are Wellington on June 23 and Carterton the following day.