▁and ▁addition ally ▁played ▁G us ▁the ▁Theatre ▁Cat ▁in ▁C ats , ▁an ▁adaptation ▁of ▁Andrew ▁Lloyd ▁Web ber ' s ▁musical , ▁directed ▁by ▁Tom ▁Ho oper , ▁and ▁also ▁featuring ▁Jenn ifer ▁Hudson , ▁James ▁C orden , ▁Id ris ▁El ba , ▁and ▁J udi ▁Den ch . ▁ ▁Personal ▁life ▁McK ellen ▁and ▁his ▁first ▁partner , ▁Brian ▁Taylor , ▁a ▁history ▁teacher ▁from ▁Bol ton , ▁began ▁their ▁relationship ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 . ▁Their ▁relationship ▁last ed ▁for ▁eight ▁years , ▁ending ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁They ▁lived ▁in ▁London , ▁where ▁McK ellen ▁continued ▁to ▁purs ue ▁his ▁career ▁as ▁an ▁actor . ▁For ▁over ▁a ▁de cade , ▁he ▁has ▁lived ▁in ▁a ▁five - store y ▁Victor ian ▁conversion ▁in ▁N arrow ▁Street , ▁L ime house . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁he ▁met ▁his ▁second ▁partner , ▁Se an ▁Math ias , ▁at ▁the ▁Edinburgh ▁Festival . ▁This ▁relationship ▁last ed ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁and ▁according ▁to ▁Math ias , ▁was ▁temp est uous , ▁with ▁conflicts ▁over ▁McK ellen ' s ▁success ▁in ▁acting ▁versus ▁Math ias ' s ▁somewhat ▁less - success ful ▁career . ▁The ▁two ▁remained ▁friends ▁with ▁Math ias ▁later ▁direct ing ▁McK ellen ▁in ▁Wait ing ▁for ▁God ot ▁at ▁the ▁Theatre ▁Royal ▁Hay market ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁The ▁pair ▁entered ▁into ▁a ▁business ▁partners hip ▁with ▁Ev gen y ▁Leb