Sir Ian McKellen and Clare Higgins are now rehearsing a wonderful trilogy of plays for West Yorkshire Playhouse. Here, the Playhouse's artistic director Jude Kelly talks breathlessly between rehearsals to Jim Greenhalf.

The Guardian naughtily put a spin on the news. Sir Ian McKellen's seven-month departure to Leeds to do three plays in repertory was nothing less than a snub to the capital; the great actor was thumbing his nose at London.

They justified this with a bit of a quote from the man himself. He was finding the largely white, middle-class audiences of The Royal National Theatre, with never a black face to be seen, a bit distasteful.

True or slightly fanciful, the story is a bit condescending all the way round for Wigan-born Sir Ian is not unfamiliar with performing in great plays outside London. Only a few years ago, I saw him at Leeds Grand in both Richard III and King Lear. Richard later transferred to Bradford's Alhambra.

So, far from being surprised by his decision to return to Leeds to perform in Chekhov's The Seagull, Nel Coward's Present Laughter, and Shakespeare's The Tempest, I for one was absolutely delighted. To begin with The Seagull is my favourite Chekhov play. Years ago BBC radio did an unsurpassed version of it with Dame Peggy Ashcroft and a young Ian McKellen as the tormented playwright Konstantin.

"He has not come here because he's disillusioned with the West End, but because he's excited by The Playhouse and the prospect of acting in the region," said Jude Kelly.

"Frankly, I hope a lot of other actors will take his lead, that's how you create a dynamic culture. What's really thrilling is that the whole country has access to good education, good health, good art (not just London)."

The Playhouse's busy artistic director, talking between a meeting and a rehearsal, explained how such a distinguished repertory company had come about.

"What happened was, I was talking to Michael Cashman about how a community audience would react to a permanent cast. Michael passed it on to Ian and he rang me and asked if we could talk about it. That was in March this year. We looked through our diaries and said 'Let's get on with it!'

"We decided this trilogy between us. You're talking about three very different plays - we have never done a Chekhov, we have never done a Coward - but each play has a dramatic connection to the theatre or, in the case of The Tempest, theatrical arts. To see actors like Ian McKellen and Clare Higgins in them is exciting.

"Ian is very concerned that he be seen as one of the company. It's fantastic to have someone of his experience and knowledge. We came up with ideas together; that's the sort of people we would like to work with," she said.

The Seagull runs from October 29 to December 5: Present Laughter from December 10 to January 23: The Tempest from January 28 to February 27. Surprisingly, all three are scheduled for the smaller Courtyard theatre which has a capacity for 350 people.

"We had already planned what we were doing with the Quarry Theatre - Martin Guerre. These plays are very intimate and will be seen by audiences very close up," Jude Kelly said. And presumably the theatre will be packed for each performance.

This season will be one to remember. Coincidentally, it marks Jude Kelly's tenth anniversary at the Playhouse. She couldn't wish for a more appropriate tribute.

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