Ex Emmerdale star John McArdle COLLAPSES on stage during latest performance
FORMER Brookside and Emmerdale star John McArdle is taking “a couple of days’ rest” after he collapsed on stage.
McArdle was doing a 'demanding' show and collapsed, but will be fine
McArdle, 68, said he was feeling unwell within minutes of the opening of Things I Know To Be True at York Theatre Royal.
The performance was cancelled after he fell.
A representative for the actor blamed exhaustion for the incident on Wednesday night.
She said: “It is quite a demanding show but he is very fit."
John was feeling unwell wthin minutes on stage of his latest show
He is OK. It was probably exhaustion and so he is taking a couple of days’ rest
"Ideally he will carry on with the rest of the show, but his health is the most important thing.
“He is OK. It was probably exhaustion and so he is taking a couple of days’ rest.”
Asked if he would be returning to his role as Bob Price in the Andrew Bovell play, she continued: “It will depend on how he is feeling over the next 48 hours.”
The theatre tweeted yesterday that it had cancelled the day’s matinee performance of the show.
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One audience member named as Elizabeth said: “It was quite upsetting to witness.”
She told how McArdle said “I’m not well” before he slumped.
Elizabeth said: “There was some confusion as to whether it was a part of the performance until a stage manager came on stage and the safety curtain came down.”
A doctor in the audience attended to McArdle who played Billy Corkhill in Brookside and Ronnie Hale in Emmerdale.