Actor Sir Ian McKellen will not participate in the touring production of Player Kings after he fell off stage last month during a performance. The 85-year-old actor misstepped on Monday, June 17 at the Noël Coward theatre in London and fell several feet from the stage to the floor. In a statement shared on social media, McKellen said he accepted his doctors’ advice to not go on tour – “with the greatest reluctance.”
“Two weeks after my accident on stage, my injuries improve day by day,” McKellen wrote. “It’s with the greatest reluctance that I have accepted the medical advice to protect my full recovery by not working in the meantime. I had been so looking forward to bringing Player Kings to theatre-goers in Bristol, Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle. But I can assure them that, with David Semark now playing Falstaff, Robert Icke’s production and his acting company remain as dazzling as ever. Go see for yourself!”
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Semark is McKellen’s understudy in Player Kings – a new take on Shakespeare’s play Henry IV, combining Part One and Part Two into one production. It was written by Icke and also stars Richard Coyle and Toheeb Jimoh. The show will tour the U.K. from July 3 to July 27.
McKellen’s fall made headlines last month as shocked audience members shared their descriptions of the event on social media. McKellen reportedly took a fall in the middle of an engaging monologue, but he cried out in pain as he hit the floor. Theater staff rushed to help him and before long, the audience was asked to leave with the show cut short.
McKellen was rushed to the hospital, but at the time he was expected to recover quickly. The Independent reported that he planned to perform in a matinee just two days later, but it seems he didn’t meet that deadline. According to a report by The Associated Press, McKellen spent three nights in the hospital before continuing his recovery at home.
Commenters shared their sympathies with McKellen, imagining the frustration of dropping out of a passion project like this so late in the game. McKellen is known for movie roles like The Lord of the Rings, but his background is strongly rooted in stage acting – particularly Shakespeare. It was clear the veteran performer was looking forward to this tour. The Player Kings tour kicks off on Wednesday, July 3.
