The veteran stage and screen actor, 85, was portraying John Falstaff in a production of Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre on Monday when he lost his footing in a fight scene and fell from the stage. After the accident, he was taken to hospital to receive treatment and the remainder of Monday and Tuesday’s performances were cancelled to allow him to rest. Sir Ian had been expected to return for Wednesday’s matinee performance, but the show has now been cancelled until Thursday.
In a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter, the show said they “look forward to him returning to the production as soon as he is ready”. “The performance on Wednesday 19 June will be cancelled following Ian McKellen’s fall during the performance of Player Kings on Monday (17 June)”, the statement said. “Bookers for the affected performance will be contacted by their point of purchase directly.
We look forward to welcoming audiences back to the Noel 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 updates regarding remaining performances this week.
” A spokesperson for the London theatre said in a statement on Monday night that Sir Ian was in “good spirits” and is expected to “make a speedy and full recovery” after receiving a scan at the hospital. They also thanked doctors Rachel and Lee who were “on hand in the audience” and to the v.
