McKellen Hails Horden Theatre Company's Revival of Repertory

Sir Ian McKellen recently opened a new venue for Ensemble 84, a theatre company established 18 months ago in Horden, County Durham. He lauded the company for employing local talent and reviving the professional repertory model, which he believes is shamefully absent elsewhere in the UK. McKellen highlighted the value of actors working together long-term, contrasting it with the project-based hiring common at major national theatres.

Ensemble 84, founded by Mark Dornford-May, who previously co-established South Africa's Isango Ensemble, has become a significant local employer, replacing jobs lost when the National Coal Board closed. The company provides hope to a community often highlighted for poverty and crime, tapping into its underlying resilience. They have already staged productions like Brecht's 'More Courage and Her Children' and are set to perform 'Hamlet'.