thumb|right|McKellen at the 2007 BAFTA Awards In 2007, he returned to the Royal Shakespeare Company, in productions of King Lear and The Seagull, both directed by Trevor Nunn. In 2009 he portrayed Number Two in The Prisoner, a remake of the 1967 cult series The Prisoner. In 2009, he appeared in a very popular revival of Waiting for Godot at London's Haymarket Theatre, directed by Sean Mathias, and playing opposite Patrick Stewart. From 2013 to 2014, McKellen and Stewart starred in a double production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot and Harold Pinter's No Man's Land on Broadway at the Cort Theatre. Variety theatre critic Marilyn Stasio praised the dual production writing, "McKellen and Stewart find plenty of consoling comedy in two masterpieces of existential despair". In both productions of Stasio claims, "the two thespians play the parts they were meant to play". He is Patron of English Touring Theatre and also President and Patron of the Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain, an association of amateur theatre organisations throughout the UK. In late August 2012, he took part in the opening ceremony of the London Paralympics, portraying Prospero from The Tempest.
thumb|right|mckellen at the 2007 bafta awards in 2007 he returned to the royal shakespeare company in productions of king lear and the seagull both directed by trevor nunn in 2009 he portrayed number two in the prisoner a remake of the 1967 cult series the prisoner in 2009 he appeared in a very popular revival of waiting for godot at london's haymarket theatre directed by sean mathias and playing opposite patrick stewart from 2013 to 2014 mckellen and stewart starred in a double production of samuel beckett's waiting for godot and harold pinter's no man's land on broadway at the cort theatre variety theatre critic marilyn stasio praised the dual production writing "mckellen and stewart find plenty of consoling comedy in two masterpieces of existential despair" in both productions of stasio claims "the two thespians play the parts they were meant to play" he is patron of english touring theatre and also president and patron of the little theatre guild of great britain an association of amateur theatre organisations throughout the uk in late august 2012 he took part in the opening ceremony of the london paralympics portraying prospero from the tempest