Actor Ian McKellen, 85, is in ‘good spirits’ and expected to recover from stage fall

London: Actor Ian McKellen is expected to make a full recovery after he toppled off a London stage on Monday during a fight scene and was hospitalised, a spokesperson said.

McKellen, 85, was in “good spirits” after doctors said a scan showed he was expected to fully recover from the fall, a spokesperson for the Noel Coward Theatre said.

From left: Richard Coyle, Sir Ian McKellen and Toheeb Jimoh at the curtain call of “Player Kings” at London’s Noel Coward Theatre on April 11.Credit: Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty Images

The stage and screen veteran known for playing Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings films and many stage roles over a six-decade career cried out in pain after the fall, according to a BBC journalist at the theatre.

McKellen was playing John Falstaff in Player Kings, a production of Henry IV, parts one and two, adapted and directed by Robert Icke, at the Noel Coward Theatre.

He lost his footing and fell off the stage in a scene with the Prince of Wales and Henry Percy. The tumble startled theatregoers.

“Sir Ian seemed to trip as he moved downstage to take a more active part in the scene,” audience member Paul Critchley told the AP news agency, saying it was a shock. “He picked up momentum as he moved downstage which resulted in him falling off the stage directly in front of the audience.”

McKellen, 85, in the Player Kings. Credit: Manuel Harlan

Staff and two doctors in the audience helped the ailing actor, the spokesperson said.

The theatre was evacuated and the play was cancelled. The production for Tuesday was also cancelled to give McKellen time to rest.

McKellen’s career includes playing Magneto in the X-Men films and several Shakespearean characters including Richard II, Macbeth and King Lear.

He has won a Tony Award for Amadeus, several Laurence Olivier Awards and has been nominated for two Oscars and several BAFTA awards.

AP

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From left: Richard Coyle, Sir Ian McKellen and Toheeb Jimoh at the curtain call of “Player Kings” at London’s Noel Coward Theatre on April 11.Credit: Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty Images