As Gandalf, he once said, 'Fly, you fools'.

And fly they did, as fans of Sir Ian McKellen took heed of his warning and snapped up tickets to see him in west Dorset.

The Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis, where Sir Ian will appear in a fundraiser next summer, said tickets for the show sold out in less than three hours.

Sir Ian, whose roles have included Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, announced details of his one man show last week.

The fundraiser on July 3 is part of a wider programme of raising money for the historic venue, that includes seeking new patrons, sponsors, and theatre friends.

Sir Ian said: “The show starts with Gandalf and will probably end with an invitation to act with me on stage. In-between there will be anecdotes and acting. Live theatre has always been thrilling to me, as an actor and in the audience.”

The money raised from the event will go towards specific projects at the arts venue.

Sir Ian said “I’m delighted to be making my debut in Lyme Regis as part of the UK tour celebrating my 80th birthday... I’m pleased that all profits will support the youth theatre and help update the Marine’s dressing rooms.”

Theatre Director Gabby Rabbitts said: “We were so pleased when Sir Ian’s team rang the Marine. It’s delightful to work with him to raise money for the venue. We’d love to meet new potential patrons and sponsors that would like to work with us in our wide programme of fundraisings. We can’t wait to share this special event with the community.”

With six Olivier Awards, a Tony, a Golden Globe, two Oscar nominations, four BAFTA nominations, and every major theatrical award, Sir Ian McKellen is a true national treasure and widely regarded as one of the greatest stage and screen actors.