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Simon Armitage opens the doors of his writing shed in the Pennine Hills to talk to Ian McKellen, whose acting career, spanning 7 decades, includes creating Gandalf and Magneto.

If the poets of the past sat in their garrets dipping their quills in ink , waiting for inspiration to strike, our current Poet Laureate Simon Armitage has a more mundane and domestic arrangement. From his wooden shed in the garden, surrounded on all sides by the Pennine Hills, he's been working on a new kind of poem he's invented - the Flyku - inspired by the moths and butterflies he sees around him. Any distraction is welcome, even encouraged, to talk about creativity, music, art, sheds, music, poetry and the countryside.

To kick of the new series, Sir Ian McKellen, whose acting career spans seven decades joins Simon to talk about everything from his early childhood in Wigan , creating the character of Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, remembering Shakespearian lines and getting an Elvish tattoo

Produced by Susan Roberts

Available now

1 hour, 1 minute

Last on

Sat 11 Feb 2023 23:30
成人快手 Radio 4

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  • Sun 5 Feb 2023 16:30
    成人快手 Radio 4
  • Sat 11 Feb 2023 23:30
    成人快手 Radio 4

Sir Ian McKellen: 10 things we learned when he spoke to the Poet Laureate

Sir Ian McKellen: 10 things we learned when he spoke to the Poet Laureate

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Sir Ian McKellen: 10 things we learned when he spoke to the Poet Laureate

Sir Ian McKellen: 10 things we learned when he spoke to the Poet Laureate

Simon Armitage and Sir Ian discuss cricket, tattoos and playing Magneto and Gandalf.

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