Sir Ian McKellen Rushed to Hospital After Falling Off Stage During London Performance
Written by Rtradio on June 17, 2024
Sir Ian McKellen was rushed to the hospital on Monday when the beloved actor accidentally fell off stage during a performance.
McKellen, 85, was performing in a production of Player Kings at the Noël Coward Theatre in London, and amid a fight scene, he lost his footing and fell, the BBC reports.
It was not immediately clear what injuries, if any, McKellen sustained in the fall. However, the theater was evacuated and the production was canceled for the evening.
Player Kings is an adaptation of Parts 1 and 2 of Henry IV, with McKellen in the leading role as John Falstaff. His run on the show has been received with universal critical acclaim.
According to the BBC, the incident occurred as McKellen’s 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.
One audience member told the BBC that the incident was “very shocking” and recounted, “As far as I saw, he was conscious because he was asking for assistance.”
ET has reached out to McKellen’s rep for comment and an update on his condition.
The production is scheduled to tour a series of London theaters through July 27. However, it’s unclear at this point what impact McKellen’s fall and subsequent hospitalization will have on the production’s schedule.
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