Ian McKellen Hospitalized After Falling Off Stage During West End Performance

Ian McKellen was hospitalized after falling off stage during a performance of “Player Kings” at the Noël Coward Theatre on the West End in London, according to the BBC .

By Ethan Shanfeld

Jun 17, 2024 04:03 PM

McKellen was believed to be engaged in a battle scene in a battle scene when he lost balance and was thrown off. The audience was removed from the theater, and the show that was scheduled for the evening was cancelled. A theater representative issued a statement stating the actor McKellen is expected to “make a speedy and full recovery” and added that the actor who’s 85 has been “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,'” is the message. “Following an examination, the incredible NHS team has confirmed that Ian will be able to make a quick and complete recovery. Ian is doing well. The production has taken the decision to reschedule the show on the 18th of June, so that Ian can recuperate. People affected will be informed at the point of purchase as quickly as possible later in the day. Thank you to the doctors Rachel as well as Lee who were in the crowd and to the staff at the venue for their help.”

Varietyhas reached to McKellen’s representative to seek more information.

McKellen portrays John Falstaff in “Player Kings,” which is a staged production that is a play by William Shakespeare “Henry IV, Parts One and Two.” The show was first performed for a 12-week period on the West End in April. After being involved in an action scene that involved another two actors, McKellen apparently fell off the stage’s front. According to BBC, “As the house lights came up, the actor cried out and staff rushed to help.”

A viewer who spoke to the BBC said the incident was “very shocking,” adding, “As far as I saw, he was conscious because he was asking for assistance.”

Charlie Johnson, a London-based journalist who went to the performance, posted on X, “Just witnessed Ian Mckellan injuring himself severely after falling off the stage at the Noel Coward Theatre. Sir Ian was heard screaming in pain while ushers came to his aid. The show has been cancelled as he’s taken care of by ambulance personnel. We wish him the best.”

McKellen has a long-running career as a Shakespeare actor, playing performances on stage including Macbeth, King Lear, Richard II, Coriolanus, Iago and Richard III. He also portrayed Hamlet the year before in an adaptation of a film by the director Sean Mathias.

McKellen was also well-known for his role as Gandalf as Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and Magneto for”X-Men,” and as Magneto in “X-Men” movies.

In the year 2018 McKellen cancelled a matinee performance in the play “King Lear” after he suffered a leg injury because of a fall while running to take trains. Instead of playing Shakespeare McKellen pampered audience members in London audience to the audience to a Q&A.