Sir Ian McKellen is speaking out after suffering injuries during his performance of ‘Player Kings’ on Monday.
Sir Ian McKellen is giving an update after suffering a fall while performing in a production of Player Kings at the Noël Coward Theatre in London on Monday.
In a message posted on X (formally Twitter), the 85-year-old actor provided his fans with an update.
“I want to thank everyone for their kind messages and support. Since the accident, during a performance of Player Kings last night, my injuries have been diagnosed and treated by a series of experts, specialists and nurses working for the National Health Service,” McKellen wrote.
“To them, of course, I am hugely indebted. They have assured me that my recovery will be complete and speedy and I am looking forward to returning to work.”
According to the BBC, Monday’s incident occurred as McKellen’s John Falstaff was circling a battle involving his co-lead, Toheeb Jimoh (playing Henry Percy), and he fell off the front of the stage and cried out for help, after losing his balance.
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Following his fall, the theater was evacuated and the remainder of the show was canceled.
ET spoke to Veronika Muzika, who was an audience member during the incident, and she said at first she thought McKellen’s accident was part of the play.
“So he fell down the orchestra pit just in front of our eyes and he was screaming something like, ‘Help,’ and I thought it was part of the play because there were a lot of wounded people, like, you know, it’s a war act, and yeah, it was quite shocking,” she said.
“He seemed like he was moving pretty OK through the stage as normal. I didn’t see any kind of tripping. Maybe there was some slippery sort of fabric or something and it must have been something really, really small because he was acting and walking naturally until the last step when he actually fell and that’s why I thought it was staged.”
On Tuesday, the official X account for the play tweeted that Wednesday’s show would also be canceled, but back on Thursday. However, it is unclear if McKellen will make his return to the stage.
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“The performance on 19 June will be canceled following Ian McKellen’s fall during the performance of Player Kings on Monday,” the statement read. “Bookers for the affected performance will be contacted by their point of purchase directly. We look forward to welcoming audiences back to the Noël Coward Theatre on Thursday 20 June. We are delighted that Ian is recovering well, and look forward to him returning to the production as soon as he is ready. We will keep audiences updated regarding performances this week.”
Player Kings is an adaptation of parts 1 and 2 of Henry IV, with McKellen in the leading role as John Falstaff. His run in the show has been received with universal critical acclaim. The production is scheduled to tour a series of London theaters through July 27.
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Sir Ian McKellen is speaking out after suffering injuries during his performance of ‘Player Kings’ on Monday.
Sir Ian McKellen is giving an update after suffering a fall while performing in a production of Player Kings at the Noël Coward Theatre in London on Monday.
In a message posted on X (formally Twitter), the 85-year-old actor provided his fans with an update.
“I want to thank everyone for their kind messages and support. Since the accident, during a performance of Player Kings last night, my injuries have been diagnosed and treated by a series of experts, specialists and nurses working for the National Health Service,” McKellen wrote.
“To them, of course, I am hugely indebted. They have assured me that my recovery will be complete and speedy and I am looking forward to returning to work.”
According to the BBC, Monday’s incident occurred as McKellen’s John Falstaff was circling a battle involving his co-lead, Toheeb Jimoh (playing Henry Percy), and he fell off the front of the stage and cried out for help, after losing his balance.
Following his fall, the theater was evacuated and the remainder of the show was canceled.
ET spoke to Veronika Muzika, who was an audience member during the incident, and she said at first she thought McKellen’s accident was part of the play.
“So he fell down the orchestra pit just in front of our eyes and he was screaming something like, ‘Help,’ and I thought it was part of the play because there were a lot of wounded people, like, you know, it’s a war act, and yeah, it was quite shocking,” she said.
“He seemed like he was moving pretty OK through the stage as normal. I didn’t see any kind of tripping. Maybe there was some slippery sort of fabric or something and it must have been something really, really small because he was acting and walking naturally until the last step when he actually fell and that’s why I thought it was staged.”
On Tuesday, the official X account for the play tweeted that Wednesday’s show would also be canceled, but back on Thursday. However, it is unclear if McKellen will make his return to the stage.
“The performance on 19 June will be canceled following Ian McKellen’s fall during the performance of Player Kings on Monday,” the statement read. “Bookers for the affected performance will be contacted by their point of purchase directly. We look forward to welcoming audiences back to the Noël Coward Theatre on Thursday 20 June. We are delighted that Ian is recovering well, and look forward to him returning to the production as soon as he is ready. We will keep audiences updated regarding performances this week.”
Player Kings is an adaptation of parts 1 and 2 of Henry IV, with McKellen in the leading role as John Falstaff. His run in the show has been received with universal critical acclaim. The production is scheduled to tour a series of London theaters through July 27.