Sir Ian McKellen's health update as stage fall left him 'crying in pain' and hospitalised

Sir Ian McKellen suffered a fall following an intense fight scene on stage and now an update on his condition has been given.

The Lord of the Rings icon, 85, was starring in a production of Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre in London, where his character John Falstaff had a fight sequence with the Prince of Wales and Henry Percy.

But it was during this scene that McKellen reportedly lost his footing and he fell off stage and audience members heard him “crying out in pain”.

The lights quickly came up and theatre staff and medical personnel were on hand to help the actor before he was rushed to hospital.

The audience was evacuated from the theatre as a result, with the rest of the show cancelled and tickets refunded.

Read more: Sir Ian McKellen's harrowing four-word plea to audience as he fell off stage

Now, an update on McKellen’s condition has been given and thankfully, it’s good news.

A representative for Player Kings said in a statement: “Thank you to our audience and the general public for their well wishes following Ian’s fall during this evening’s performance of Player Kings.

“Following a scan, the brilliant NHS team have assured us that he will make a speedy and full recovery and Ian is in good spirits.

“The production has made the decision to cancel the performance on Tuesday, June 18 so Ian can rest.

“Those affected will be contacted by their point of purchase as soon as possible tomorrow.”

The spokesperson also thanked “doctors Rachel and Lee” who were in the audience and on hand at the time of the incident, as well as the venue’s staff “for their support”.

It is thought that McKellen is going to make a full and speedy recovery with the star not left badly injured from the fall.

Describing what happened, an audience member told Metro.co.uk: “It was pretty awful to see! Close to the end of Act One there is a fight scene between Prince Hal and Hotspur and Falstaff (Sir Ian’s character) came onstage.

“During the fight Sir Ian looked to have tripped and fell into the first row. As he called out for help, the cast came to help him and the lights came up.

“The staff at the Noel Coward Theatre were wonderful and lept into action to attend to him, evacuated the theatre and made sure to let us know quickly that they were waiting on an ambulance and would be canceling the remainder of the show.”

He added that while he wasn’t close enough to see the actor’s injuries but he stated that McKellen was “definitely crying out in pain”.

Player Kings is a production that’s made up of Henry IV, Parts One and Two which began its 12-week run in the West End back in April.

Earlier this year, McKellen told the BBC that it had been a dream of his to portray Falstraff on stage.

He commented: “Actors who have taken on the role say it is verbally very challenging – it seems that the role was written for a particular actor and comedian in Shakespeare’s time, so it’s a bit like being given a script for Michael McIntyre.

“The play itself has so many settings across England, from the taverns of the East End to the rural peaceful countryside of Gloucestershire and so it only makes sense that we take this show all around, giving the opportunity to as many people as possible to see it.”