A sparkling jewel
The boss of secret agent 007 and her mystical friend were working their magic on Sunday to help save a precious jewel in the heart of historical Bury St Edmunds.
Sir Ian McKellen, known to millions as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Dame Judi Dench, the first female to play M in the James Bond saga, took to the stage of a packed Theatre Royal in aid of the restoration appeal.
Tickets for the evening of prose, poetry and conversation with Sir Jeremy Isaacs sold out within 24 hours of going on sale.
The money-spinning gala also featured legendary actors Prunella Scales and Timothy West. Mr West, a patron of the appeal appeared on stage despite having a broken leg.
Unfortunately, Stephen Fry, who was due to take part, was unable to attend.
The cost of the restoration project, spear-headed by Jeremy Isaacs, is 5.1 million. The Royal Million membership now stands at 200,000, there has also been a 2 million Lottery donation, 500,000 from the National Trust and 250,000 from St Edmundsbury Borough Council. So far 4.2 million has been raised.
The theatre, one of the last remaining Georgian theatres in Britain, will close in September while the 18-month renovation is carried out.
Dame Judi, who flew in especially from New York to take part in the show, said: "Jeremy asked me if I would be interested in this about a year ago. I'd never been to Bury St Edmunds before but knew about the theatre, of course. I think it's exquisite and must be preserved.
"These were the only theatres you could go to when I was at drama school in 1957. To have a theatre like this in your town is an absolute blessing."
She added: "Somebody said to me the other day 'you're a Hollywood star,' I said I'm not a Hollywood star, I'm an actor that works on stage. If I get to do a film I'm very lucky. But this is where I like to be, no question."
Sir Ian said he thought he may have performed at the theatre some years before while touring.
He added: "My second ever job was at Ipswich and I have relatives in East Anglia, so I don't feel too distant from Bury St Edmunds. When I was at the Prospect Theatre Company they used to come here the whole time, that was years ago.
"But it is very impressive, not just the building and what's actually going on, but the things that are being produced here. It's a very important theatre nationally.
"That's the point, all the theatres are connected. They have always been connected, because actors have always worked in all of them. But now administratively, and in every other ways, you feel they all belong together. If this theatre was run down in any way, the whole of the theatre world would lose out and so that is why I have come to support it."
Both Dame Judi and Sir Ian paid tribute to Sir John Mills, who died on Saturday, aged 97.
"I didn't work with John but I met him a number of times. He was infallibly courteous and a gentleman, said Sir Ian.
When asked if they had any future ambitions, Dame Judi replied: "I'm just a bad chooser, so I wouldn't know. I have to wait until somebody asks me."
Sir Ian said: "I'd like to be in a very large and hugely successful musical with an immense staircase that I could walk down wearing a frock and big hat with Dame Judi Dench."
Sir Ian is achieving one ambition by making his Coronation Street debut next month when he plays flamboyant novelist Mel Hutchwright
The show, helped raise 50,000 towards the appeal and featured excerpts from Shakespeare, JB Priestley and one act from The Importance of Being Ernest.
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Weather for Bury St Edmunds
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -6 C to -1 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -7 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North east
