Traffic jams have defeated the best of us… and it’s no exception for veteran Shakespearan Sir Ian McKellen.
The 84-year-old actor has had to take drastic, and speedy, measures to ensure he makes it across London in time for his daily performance on stage – riding on the back of a motorbike.
Sir Ian is currently playing Shakespeare’s loveable rogue Falstaff in The Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre in the West End, a new adaptation of Henry IV parts one and two.
Sir Ian McKellen is pictured on the back of a motorcyle as he makes his way to his daily performance on stage
Sir Ian is currently playing Shakespeare’s loveable rogue Falstaff in The Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre in the West End
But the actor lives seven miles away from the theatre in a Thameside home in the historic area of Limehouse in the East End.
One source said: ‘Sir Ian tried getting picked up by a car provided by theatre bosses but it took so long to get across town it was pointless.
‘One night it took him 90 minutes to get from his home. After that, it was decided a motorbike was the only option.’
After its London run Sir Ian, whose film credits include the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, will take The Player Kings to Bristol, Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle – but probably not by motorbike.