Legendary actor Sir Ian McKellen will not appear when the run of Player Kings resumes in the West End on Thursday, and will remain absent for the final performances of the run. It has been confirmed that the actor’s understudy, David Semark, will go on instead. A statement said: ‘David Semark will be playing the role of Sir John Falstaff for the final three scheduled performances of Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre in London while Sir Ian McKellen recuperates following his fall on Monday 18 June.
‘We look forward to Ian returning to the production, which begins a national tour in Bristol on Wednesday July 3, before visiting Birmingham , Norwich and Newcastle.’ McKellen was rushed to hospital during a performance of Player Kings at the Noël Coward Theatre in London on June 18 after he lost his footing during an intense fight scene, causing him to fall off the stage. He later said he was ‘looking forward to returning to work’ and is ‘hugely indebted’ to NHS staff who treated him after the incident.
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. To them, of⦠The Lord of the Rings star wrote on X: ‘I want to thank everyone for their kind messages and support.
‘Since the accident, during a performance of Player Kings last night, my in.
