Sixteen years after falling in love with the Isaac Theatre Royal and more than a decade after helping raise over $350,000 to save it from earthquake damage, Sir Ian McKellen returned to the playhouse at 145 Gloucester Street on Friday. This time to visit  the stage he helped rebuild, and to see it restored for himself in person for the very first time.

The 87-year-old actor and theatre legend spoke of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot,  the production that first brought him to Christchurch in 2010 - followed by two monologues, The Stranger's Case from Sir Thomas More and The Revels Speech from The Tempest, before an invited audience of students, staff, board members, sponsors and donors, local artists and performers, Trust and Foundation members, Christchurch City Council representatives and local Mana Whenua.

It was an extraordinary full-circle moment between one of the world's most celebrated actors and a theatre that, without his intervention, may never have reopened.

During the visit, Sir Ian McKellen was formally recognised as a Patron of the Isaac Theatre Royal - an honour that acknowledges his extraordinary and enduring commitment to the theatre and to the performing arts in Ōtautahi Christchurch. The Isaac Theatre Royal presented Sir Ian with a Pikorua - a twist pounamu, a greenstone taonga, on behalf of all Theatre staff, some of whom had worn the stone prior to gifting. The Pikorua twist carries deep meaning. It represents the bond between peoples and cultures, traditionally given as an offering of friendship, a deeply fitting choice to honour the enduring connection between Sir Ian and the people of Ōtautahi Christchurch. The pounamu was blessed by local Mana Whenua, who also led a mihi whakatau to welcome Sir Ian to the restored theatre.

Sir Ian himself had this to say about the restored theatre:

"It is magnificent. It's one of the great theatres of the world, really, and very, very special for the city — a symbol of survival for what was, and for looking forward to what can be. Theatres should be radical places where ideas are thrown at you, and it's lovely to be a little part of helping save it."

The Christchurch City Council appointed Sir Ian as an Honorary Citizen of Christchurch, recognising his outstanding contribution to the cultural life of the city and his exceptional service to the Isaac Theatre Royal. The honour was presented by Acting Mayor Victoria Henstock.

Our Chief Executive Greg Ward reflected on the significance of the day:

"Sir Ian McKellen has given this theatre more than most people will ever know — from performing here in 2010, to the tour that helped fund our rebuild after the earthquakes. Naming him a Patron of the Isaac Theatre Royal, in person, during a visit he initiated himself simply because he wanted to come home, was one of the proudest moments in this theatre's history."

A LONG FRIENDSHIP

Sir Ian first visited the Isaac Theatre Royal on 13 July 2010, during the Australasian tour of Waiting for Godot. He described it as "a place of absolute delight" and spent the evening exploring the theatre from backstage to front-of-house, savouring its history. At the farewell party in the dress circle foyer on the final night, he promised those gathered that he would return. Upon this 2026 visit, he was pleased to learn that the remaining Godot set pieces remain backstage and were one of the few parts of the theatre that were undamaged post-quake.

When the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes struck, the Isaac Theatre Royal sustained devastating damage. Sir Ian visited the damaged building, walking through in a hard hat and hi-vis, escorted by then-CEO Neil Cox and was deeply moved by what he saw. He announced his own fundraising contribution: a national tour of his one-man show Shakespeare, Tolkien and You, performed across 15 dates throughout New Zealand in June and July 2012 during breaks from filming The Hobbit. The tour attracted full houses, raised more than $350,000 for the rebuild and generated international media attention for the campaign. One of the Theatre's Royal Boxes was permanently named the Sir Ian McKellen (Shakespeare) Box in his honour.

As he said in a television interview at the time: "There's something about the spirit of this theatre. It won't die."

ABOUT THE NAME A SEAT GIFTING

The Isaac Theatre Royal gifted Sir Ian a Name a Seat dedication within the venue as part of the theatre's donor recognition programme. Name a Seat offers individuals and organisations the opportunity to have their name associated with a seat in one of New Zealand's most iconic performing arts venues.

Sir Ian's has two named seats in the venue, both of which have seats available beside and nearby - for corporate or private sponsorship. The Isaac Theatre Royal warmly welcomes anyone who would like to claim a seat alongside Sir Ian's and contribute to the future of live performance in Christchurch.

For more information about Name A Seat or to enquire about available seats, please visit our page here or contact the Isaac Theatre Royal team.