Sir Ian McKellen, 85, shocks revellers as he dances the night away at famous gay club after shaking off his horrific stage injury

Sir Ian McKellen appeared to brush off his recent stage injury woes as he enjoyed a night partying at a famous gay night club on the weekend.

The 85-year-old took time out from the dancefloor to pose with two topless hunks as he joined revellers at Roast, a men-only club night in North London.

While most partygoers wore very few items of clothing, the Lord of The Rings actor flaunted his slender figure in a vintage floral red shirt.

One attendee at the party, which was held on Saturday evening, told the Mail Online: ‘Everyone was gobsmacked when they spotted him on the dancefloor.

‘Sir Ian was having such a good time soaking up the party atmosphere. He looked like he didn’t have a care in the world.

‘You would never have guessed that he was only in hospital just a few months ago.

Sir Ian McKellen appeared to brush off his recent stage injury woes as he enjoyed a night partying at a famous gay night club on the weekend 

‘He had many people approach him to send their well wishes. One attendee was clearly a fan of his work in the Lord of the Rings movies, as he greeted the star as ‘Gandalf the Gay’.’

The joke, which is said to have been taken in good humour, is a reference to Sir Ian’s character in the Tolkein adaptations.

The Roast club’s Instagram page reposted a picture of the actor at the venue, with one Lord of the Rings fan writing: ‘Gandalf flakes on every battle but turns up to Roast.’

Tickets at the fortnightly event sell for £23, with pleasure seekers partying till 6am in the morning.

It describes itself as ‘London’s beefiest clubnight’ and boasts ten DJS over five floors and ‘one big darkroom’.

A darkroom is a space where people can engage in discreet intimate activities in a private setting with dim lighting.

There is no suggestion that Sir Ian visited that area of the club.

The Electrowerkz venue, where the event takes place, is just a 30-minute taxi ride from the Shakespearan actor’s riverside apartment in Limehouse, east London.

The Electrowerkz venue (pictured), where the event takes place, is just a 30-minute taxi ride from the Shakespearan actor’s riverside apartment in Limehouse, east London

Sir Ian’s stage and film career has spanned more than six decades, but he sparked concern when he fell off the stage of the Noel Coward theatre in June 

Sir Ian’s stage and film career has spanned more than six decades, but he sparked concern when he fell off the stage of the Noel Coward theatre in June.

The actor, who was playing Sir John Falstaff in Shakespeare’s Henry IV, was hospitalised and suffered a chipped vertebra and fractured wrist forcing him to pull out of the rest of the run.

He later said he felt ‘ashamed’ and ’emotional’ for letting down West End audiences, and said that it had made him ‘aware there isn’t much time left’.

Sir Ian came out as gay aged 49 in 1988 and has admittted that it was a life-changing moment for him.

He told Variety: ‘Almost overnight everything in my life changed for the better – my relationships with people and my whole attitude toward acting changed.’

Ian admits that coming out actually had a huge impact on his acting work.

Sir Ian came out as gay aged 49 in 1988 and has admittted that it was a life-changing moment for him (pictured in September 2024)

The star explained: ‘The kind of acting that I had been good at was all about disguise – adopting funny voices and odd walks.

‘It was about lying to the world. I was no longer in the situation where I was running along beside the character explaining it to the audience. I just became the character.’

Ian also said he felt that it was difficult for non-gay people to relate to his struggle.

The veteran actor said: ‘People who are not gay just simply don’t know how it damages you to be lying about what you are and ashamed of yourself.

‘I was brought up at a time when it was illegal for me to have sex with a man. And that was not that long ago,’ he added.