5 8 , ▁McK ellen , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 8 , ▁won ▁a ▁scholar ship ▁to ▁St ▁C ath ar ine ' s ▁College , ▁Cambridge , ▁where ▁he ▁read ▁English ▁literature . ▁He ▁has ▁since ▁been ▁made ▁an ▁Honor ary ▁Fellow ▁of ▁the ▁College . ▁While ▁at ▁Cambridge , ▁McK ellen ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Mar low e ▁Society , ▁where ▁he ▁appeared ▁in ▁ 2 3 ▁plays ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁ 3 ▁years . ▁At ▁that ▁young ▁age ▁he ▁was ▁already ▁giving ▁performances ▁that ▁have ▁since ▁become ▁legend ary ▁such ▁as ▁his ▁Justice ▁Sh allow ▁in ▁Henry ▁IV ▁alongside ▁Tre vor ▁N unn ▁and ▁D erek ▁Jacob i ▁( M arch ▁ 1 9 5 9 ), ▁C ym b eline ▁( as ▁Post hum us , ▁opposite ▁Margaret ▁D rab ble ▁as ▁Im ogen ) ▁and ▁Doctor ▁Fa ust us . ▁During ▁this ▁period ▁McK ellen ▁had ▁already ▁been ▁directed ▁by ▁Peter ▁Hall , ▁John ▁Bart on ▁and ▁D ad ie ▁Ry lands , ▁all ▁of ▁whom ▁would ▁have ▁a ▁huge ▁impact ▁on ▁McK ellen ' s ▁future ▁career . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Theatre ▁ ▁McK ellen ▁made ▁his ▁first ▁professional ▁appearance ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁at ▁the ▁Bel grade ▁Theatre , ▁as ▁R oper ▁in ▁A ▁Man ▁for ▁All ▁Se asons , ▁although ▁an ▁audio ▁recording ▁of ▁the ▁Mar low e ▁Society ' s ▁C ym b eline ▁had ▁gone ▁on ▁commercial ▁sale ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Ar go ▁Shakespeare ▁series .