SIR IAN McKellen will celebrate his 80th birthday in 2019 by raising funds for theatres he loves.

And the good news is, he’ll be bringing a new solo show to the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon on Sunday July 21, next year.

In fact there will be two performances that day: one in the Swan Theatre at 2.30pm, and one in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at 7.30pm.

A spokesman said: “Celebrating 80 years, this intimate show is a mixture of anecdotes and acting, including Tolkien, Shakespeare and others.

“Ian has a long association with the Royal Shakespeare Company where his work has included title roles in Trevor Nunn’s productions of Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and King Lear.”

All proceeds from the performances at the RSC will go towards the Company’s Stitch in Time campaign to restore and redevelop the RSC’s Costume Workshop.

The spokesman added: “The show will begin its journey around the UK with a tour of London. Then, across the country, Ian will visit theatres large and small with which he has personal connections and happy memories, including amateur groups he knew as a child and notable playhouses he has played in as a professional actor over the past half-century.”

And Sir Ian himself added: “Live theatre has always been thrilling to me.”