Ian McKellen was taken to the hospital after a fall while performing Monday evening in London’s West End. McKellen, 85, fell from the stage during a production of “Player Kings” at the Noël Coward Theatre on June 17, spokespeople for the actor and the play said in a statement. McKellen is currently playing Sir John Falstaff in the new version of Shakespeare’s “Henry IV” that began its 12-week run at the theater in April.
Medical professionals expect McKellen to “make a speedy and full recovery,” according to the statement, which doctors determined “following a scan.” The statement added that McKellen is in “good spirits.” “Player Kings” will be canceled Tuesday, June 18, “so Ian can rest,” the statement said.
The statement also thanked “doctors Rachel and Lee who were on hand in the audience and to all the venue staff for their support. The BBC reported that McKellen was performing a fight scene involving the Prince of Wales and Henry Percy when he lost his footing and fell off the front of the stage. He cried out in pain, and staff rushed to help him as the house lights came up over the theater, according to the BBC.
Audiences were told the remainder of the show was canceled and were evacuated from the theater. McKellen, in his decades-long acting career, has appeared in a number of Shakespeare adaptations on screen and on stage, but is perhaps most famously known as Gandalf in the “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” movies. His a.
