Sir Ian McKellen has revealed he is ‘looking forward to returning to work’ after he tripped and fell off the stage during his West End show last night.
The 85-year-old actor tumbled off the front of the stage just before the interval of Player Kings at the Noel Coward theatre in London and was taken to hospital.
Ticket holders were evacuated from the theatre at about 8pm while paramedics were called and then told the evening show had been cancelled.
In a new statement, the actor has said: ‘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 course, I am hugely indebted.
‘They have assured me that my recovery will be complete and speedy and I am looking forward to returning to work.’
The Lord Of The Rings actor, who is currently playing John Falstaff in Player Kings, was in a fight scene when he lost his footing and tumbled off the stage.
Last night Player Kings released a positive update, revealing Sir Ian was in ‘good spirits’ but that Tuesday night’s performance would be cancelled so he could rest. They have now confirmed Wednesday night has also been axed.
In a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter, the production said he is ‘recovering well’ and that 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.’
Audience members told the star plunged off the front of the stage in a ‘belly flop fashion’ and yelled ‘help me… my arms’ just before the interval of Player Kings.
The crowd were evacuated from the theatre at around 8pm last night while medics were called to the venue – and ticket holders were told the evening show had been cancelled.
Sir Ian was circling a battle scene involving the Prince of Wales and Henry Percy, when he tripped and fell off the stage.
As the house lights came up, the actor known for Lord Of The Rings and X-Men cried out in pain as ushers and two medics in the audience rushed to help him.
Charlie Johnson, a journalist for the Kingston Courier who was in the audience, told ITV: ‘As we approached the interval of the play, there was a fight scene going on.
‘There were strobe lights and then it all went dark, at which point you could see the silhouette of Sir Ian come out from the wings. And the way the stage works at the Noel Coward is there’s sort of a step down just as the stage meets the audience.
‘I think what happened was he put his foot too far, sort of went off that initial step, at which point he lost his balance and pretty much just went head first into the audience.
‘And within seconds a blood-curdling scream arose from the actor. He was clearly in a lot of pain, he was screaming ‘help me’.’
Kol Baker, who was watching the show from the second tier, told that Sir Ian had been ‘berating the villain and moving around’ during the scene when he ‘tripped over’ some props and fell off the stage ‘in almost a belly flop fashion’.
‘Instantly he screamed and honestly the noises were bone-chilling,’ the 23-year-old added – as he recalled Sir Ian yelling ‘help me, help me’ followed by ‘my arms, my arms’ and ‘help me, help me’ again.
‘The lights were on so quickly the curtains drawn and within seconds they asked to evacuate the whole auditorium. Whilst leaving the theatre within ten minutes he was in the back of an ambulance speeding down Trafalgar Square.’
Describing what caused the actor to fall, he explained: ‘The scene in question was a warzone so there was broken up bricks and daggers from the battle and the set which was all torn up for that scene.’
He said there was ‘so much concern and shock for Sir Ian’, adding: ‘Everyone I think is just such huge fans of his work and just really empathetic and almost terrified that it could be life-threatening because of his age.’
Mr Baker said that Sir Ian had been ‘performing amazingly with great vigour’ before he fell.
When asked how the audience reacted, the theatregoer added: ‘Instantly people were standing up, the first two rows completely went to rush to go help Sir Ian and everyone was explaining ‘oh my god’ and ‘that poor man’.
‘It was very sincere and so much concern for his well-being,’ he added. ‘He had made everyone laugh so much this evening.’
Player Kings, which started its 12-week West End run in April, is a production of Henry IV, Parts One and Two.
Afterwards, the show will tour the country. It is due to move to the Bristol Hippodrome in July and will also be staged in Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle.
Sir Ian, who now lives in Limehouse, was born in Burnley, Lancashire, in 1939 and, alongside his sister Jean, was raised by his mother Margery and his father Denis.
He has often credited his parents for encouraging his interest in becoming a performer, previously claiming in a 2017 interview with the Irish Examiner: ‘Apparently she said, ‘If Ian decides to be an actor, it’s a good job, because it brings pleasure to people’.’
His mother died when he was just 12 and he would lose his father at the age of 22.
Sir Ian acted at all the schools he attended. When at Bolton School he was able to take on his first Shakespeare performance at Hopefield Miniature Theatre when, as a 13-year-old Malvolio, he performed the letter scene from Twelfth Night.
He then won a scholarship to read English at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge and was soon appearing in regular productions, including appearing alongside now famous alumni such as Derek Jacobi, David Frost and Margaret Drabble.
By the time Sir Ian graduated in 1961 he had decided to become an actor, and landed his first job in a production of A Man For All Seasons at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry.
Since then, he has gone on to become a household name for his acclaimed performances in everything from Shakespearean tragedies to Hollywood blockbusters.
He shot to international acclaim for his film work, receiving an Academy Award nomination in 1998 for Best Actor after he starred in Gods and Monsters.
In 2019, the actor topped the The Stage 100 list of most influential people in British Theatre following his UK Tour of Ian McKellen on Stage.
Sir Ian was knighted in 1991 for services to theatre and was later appointed a Companion of Honour for services to drama and equality by Queen Elizabeth II in 2008.
Sir Ian has been nominated for 12 Olivier Awards and won six for his roles in Pillars Of The Community, The Alchemist, Bent, Wild Honey, Richard III and his one-man show Ian McKellen On Stage