{"id":2161233,"date":"2025-11-17T07:17:01","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T07:17:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2161233"},"modified":"2025-11-17T07:17:01","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T07:17:01","slug":"ian-mckellen-joins-corbyns-north-london-panto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/ian-mckellen-joins-corbyns-north-london-panto\/","title":{"rendered":"Ian McKellen joins Corbyn\u2019s north London panto"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Sir Ian McKellen has signed up to star alongside Jeremy Corbyn in a drag-heavy Christmas pantomime in Islington.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A long-time Left-winger best known for his portrayal as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Sir Ian has previously spoken of his respect for the former Labour leader.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The thespian will play Toto, a \u201cwashed up rock star dog\u201d, in the Wicked Witches production, while Mr Corbyn will play the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2025\/10\/28\/jeremy-corbyn-to-play-wizard-of-oz-in-panto\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:\u201cWizard of Oz-lington\u201d;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">\u201cWizard of Oz-lington\u201d<\/a> \u2013 a reference to his north London constituency.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">They will be joined on stage at the Pleasance Theatre by a cohort of prominent non-binary drag performers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Running from Nov 18 to Dec 31, there will be a mix of child-friendly and \u201cadults only\u201d performances, which will contain \u201cstrong language\u201d and \u201csexual references\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Sir Ian, 86, said of his latest role: \u201cHaving survived \u2013 just \u2013 my appearance in the film of Cats, I am thrilled, relieved even to now be offered the role of a dog \u2013 Toto no less in Wicked Witches. I would be barking mad to refuse.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Sir Ian\u2019s Toto is described as a \u2018washed up rock star dog\u2019<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The pantomime has been described as a comic blend of the musical Wicked and The Wizard of Oz.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It was written by non-binary dramatist ShayShay, who previously created a \u201csemi-immersive sequel to \u2018Wicked\u2019\/\u2018The Wizard of Oz\u2019, in which all the characters are queer\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Sir Ian, who lives relatively close to Islington in Limehouse, has praised his new co-star in the past.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Speaking to The Telegraph in 2017, when Mr Corbyn was still Labour leader, the actor said: \u201cWell if I were a politician, I would like to be just like Corbyn.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cI would like to say it how it is, and that \u2018I don\u2019t know how to do this but I would like the world to be a better place\u2019 \u2013 rather than be someone who talks about the economy. Because frankly nobody understands the economy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">That same year, he publicly called on voters to support the re-election of Wes Streeting, describing him as \u201cone of the great young politicians, everything before him but with his principles firmly in place\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Just as Sir Ian has weighed into politics, so has Mr Corbyn, 76, made forays into the arts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He founded the Peace and Justice Project in 2020, an organisation which runs an ongoing campaign called Music for the Many.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Jeremy Corbyn will play the Wizard of Oz in pantomime\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"842\" height=\"526\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/ESHH3oLHj3Bir3450QDlsg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTYwMDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/the_telegraph_258\/5265ee0f02c057851553343e8ca9efa7\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Jeremy Corbyn will be at the end of the yellow brick road this panto season<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Following the 2017 general election, Mr Corbyn was invited to speak on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival where he addressed a crowd before a performance by US hip-hop group Run the Jewels.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Mr Corbyn said of his crossover into pantomime: \u201cLocal theatre is where the real wizardry happens, sparking imagination and spreading a bit of joy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It comes amid off-stage theatrics surrounding his new hard-Left political vehicle, Your Party, co-founded with former Labour MP Zarah Sultana, which has been <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/politics\/2025\/10\/27\/your-party-fresh-chaos-losing-access-to-member-corbyn\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:plagued by in-fighting;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">plagued by in-fighting<\/a> since its launch.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/politics\/2025\/11\/14\/your-party-at-war-over-donations\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Adnan Hussain;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Adnan Hussain<\/a>, the pro-Gaza independent MP for Blackburn, quit the new party over its \u201ctoxic\u201d culture.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It followed a public clash between Mr Hussain and Ms Sultana over his gender-critical views, an issue which has since caused further divisions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Ms Sultana has also rebuked <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/politics\/2025\/11\/16\/your-party-in-fresh-trans-row-corbyn-zultana\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Iqbal Mohamed;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Iqbal Mohamed<\/a>, the independent MP for Dewsbury and Batley, over social media posts relating to transgender issues, in which he opined that women\u2019s rights must not be \u201ctaken away\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">This prompted Ms Sultana to insist that Your Party remains resolutely pro-trans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">These rifts emerged after a long-running feud between Mr Corbyn and Ms Sultana, 32, who accused him of running a \u201csexist boys\u2019 club\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/customer\/subscription\/store\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Try full access to The Telegraph free today. Unlock their award-winning website and essential news app, plus useful tools and expert guides for your money, health and holidays.;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><b>Try full access to The Telegraph free today. Unlock their award-winning website and essential news app, plus useful tools and expert guides for your money, health and holidays.<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sir Ian McKellen has signed up to star alongside Jeremy Corbyn in a drag-heavy Christmas pantomime in Islington. A long-time Left-winger best known for his portrayal as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Sir Ian has previously spoken of his respect for the former Labour leader. The thespian will play Toto, a \u201cwashed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2161234,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[414394,374331,414397,414398,310929,367029,366781,414395,414396],"class_list":["post-2161233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-christmas-pantomime","tag-jeremy-corbyn","tag-labour-leader","tag-mr-corbyn","tag-rock-star","tag-sir-ian","tag-sir-ian-mckellen","tag-toto","tag-wicked-witches"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Ian-McKellen-joins-Corbyns-north-London-panto.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2161233","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2161233"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2161233\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2161235,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2161233\/revisions\/2161235"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2161234"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2161233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2161233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2161233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}