Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi are gay life partners in new sitcom

Sir Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi will play gay partners Freddie and Stuart in ITV’s new sitcom

14:40 07 November 2012

Sir Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi, who are both openly gay and LGBT right advocates for years, are set to play gay partners (who bicker all the time) in a new ITV star-studded sitcom.

 

A former actor and an ex-barman; their characters share a cramped flat in Convent Garden for the best part of 50 years.

Frances De La Tour will play Violet who is the couples’ best friend and intermediary during arguments. The story is thought to become more colourful as their new neighbour disrupts their world.

The programme is written by British playwright Mark Ravenhill and also Gary Janetti; the writer behind hit American sitcoms Family Guy and Will & Grace. It will be directed by Ed Bye, whose list of credentials includes My Family, French & Saunders, and Red Dwarf.

McKellen was recently part of an anti-homophobia in school campaign where he said, as quoted by The Telegraph: “I think that’s why so many great British actors are gay – we spent so long pretending to be straight, to be someone else, that eventually we became very good it.”

The sitcom is due to air in 2013.