Actor Ian McKellen was hospitalized Monday after falling off a London stage during a fight scene in a play.
McKellen was playing John Falstaff in “Player Kings,” a production of Henry IV, parts one and two, adapted and directed by Robert Icke, at the Noel Coward Theatre.
A spokesperson for the producers of the play said the actor was expected to make “a speedy and full recovery,” adding that McKellen was in “good spirits.”
“Thank you to our audience and the general public for their well wishes following Ian’s fall during this evening’s performance of ‘Player Kings,'” the spokesperson, Freya Cowdry, said.
“The production has made the decision to cancel the performance on Tuesday 18 June so Ian can rest,” Cowdry said. “Those affected will be contacted by their point of purchase as soon as possible tomorrow.”
The 85-year-old known for playing Gandalf in the “Lord of the Rings” films and many stage roles over a six decade career cried out in pain after the fall, according to a BBC journalist at the theater.
McKellen lost his footing and fell off the stage in a scene with the Prince of Wales and Henry Percy. The tumble startled theatergoers.
“Sir Ian seemed to trip as he moved downstage to take a more active part in the scene,” audience member Paul Critchley told the PA news agency, saying it was a shock. “He picked up momentum as he moved downstage which resulted in him falling off the stage directly in front of the audience.”
The theater was evacuated and the play was canceled as the actor was treated. “Thank you to doctors Rachel and Lee who were on hand in the audience and to all the venue staff for their support,” Cowdry said in the statement.
McKellen’s career includes playing Magneto in the X-Men films and several Shakespearean characters, including Richard II, Macbeth and King Lear.
He has won a Tony Award for “Amadeus,” several Laurence Olivier Awards and has been nominated for two Oscars and several BAFTA awards.
Source Agencies
