Ian McKellen ‘emotional’ as he opens County Durham theatre space

Actor says Ensemble 84 in Horden, employing local talent, is how a professional repertory company should be

It’s a chilly spring evening in what was once a Catholic church in a left-behind County Durham pit village, and Ian McKellen admits he is feeling emotional.

“This is the only company of actors in the United Kingdom and it’s in … Horden?” he says. “I’m feeling very emotional. This fulfils all my romantic dreams I’ve had ever since I discovered the joys of theatre-going and acting.”