Sir Ian McKellen said to be in 'good spirits' after stage fall

1News Reporters 1News Reporters | 06-18 08:20

Sir Ian McKellen is in "good spirits" after falling from the stage during a West End performance and is expected to make a "speedy and full recovery".

The 85-year-old actor was in a performance of Player Kings at Noël Coward Theatre in London when he lost his footing and fell from the stage.

In a statement to News Agency PA, the theatre thanked the public for its well wishes and reassured those concerned that the veteran actor would be fine.

"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," a spokesperson for the London theatre said in a statement to the PA news agency.

"Following a scan, the brilliant NHS team has assured us that he will make a speedy and full recovery and that Ian is in good spirits."

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They said the production planned for tomorrow has been cancelled so McKellen could rest.

The theatre also thanked doctors Rachel and Lee, who were "on hand in the audience". The spokesperson also thanked the venue staff "for their support".

The fall took place when McKellen, who played John Falstaff in the production, was circling a battle scene involving the Prince of Wales and Henry Percy when he fell off the front of the stage.

The actor cried out as the house lights came up.

"Sir Ian seemed to trip as he moved downstage to take a more active part in the scene," audience member Paul Critchley told PA, 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.”

One member of the audience told the BBC the incident was "very shocking".

"I really hope that he is going to be alright. As far as I saw, he was conscious because he was asking for assistance."

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Player Kings was an adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry IV Parts One and Two.

More on this topic

Sir Ian McKellen taken to hospital after falling from a stage

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The actor's previous Shakespeare credits included Richard II, Coriolanus, Iago, Richard III, King Lear, and Macbeth.

His on-screen credits included Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, and Magneto in the X-Men movies.

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