The Gay Auckland Business Association has announced their next celebrity event – ‘A Night With A Knight' – will be an evening with visiting actor Sir Ian McKellen. McKellen has agreed to be guest of honour for a GABA-hosted evening during his tour in New Zealand of The Royal Shakespeare Company's productions of Shakespeare's 'King Lear' and Chekhov's 'The Seagull', playing in Auckland on 18-26th August. The date for the event is set for Friday 17th August, but further details are yet to be annonced. The night will be a fundraiser for the GABA Charitable Trust. Earlier this month, the Trust handed out seven 2007 Grants totalling $15,335, to support the welfare, education and visibility of the gay community in New Zealand. McKellen, despite his long stay here during the filming of ‘Lord of the Rings', has never before appeared on a New Zealand stage. His Kiwi trip also includes four nights at the St James Theatre in Wellington, on 11-14th August. Labour MP Tim Barnett has told Rainbow Wellington there are plans for a reception in Parliament for McKellen and the Royal Shakespeare Company, possibly on the 8th of August. Bookings for both the Auckland and Wellington ‘King Lear' and ‘The Seagull' performances are available through Ticketek. Ref: GABA, Rainbow Wellington (m)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 27th June 2007 - 10:38am