Sir Ian McKellen will not appear when play resumes after his fall from stage
Sir Ian McKellen will not appear when the run of Player Kings resumes in the West End on Thursday night after his fall from the stage.
The veteran actor, 85, was performing at the Noel Coward Theatre when he lost his footing in a fight scene on Monday.
He was taken to hospital after the accident, with performances on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday all cancelled to give him time to rest.
The final London performances are on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
While he said on Tuesday he is “looking forward to returning to work“, he confirmed his understudy David Semark will go on instead.
“After three nights in hospital, the effects of my fall onstage have been fully analysed and I’m now having physiotherapy, light exercise and a lot of essential rest at home,” he said
“Meanwhile my part in Player Kings is filled by the redoubtable David Semark supported by Robert Icke’s amazing production and cast.
“The many messages of love and support will, I am sure, aid the speedy recovery that my doctors have promised me.”
Sir Ian McKellen in February. File pic: PA
The show’s X account also confirmed Semark will be playing the role of Sir John Falstaff for the final three performances.
Organisers added they look forward to Sir Ian returning to the production, which begins a national tour in Bristol on Wednesday 3 July, before stops in Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle.
Sir Ian was said to be in a scene involving the Prince of Wales and Henry Percy when he fell from the front of the stage.
He was heard crying out in pain as staff rushed to help, with the theatre later thanking doctors Rachel and Lee, who were in the audience at the time.
An NHS response unit outside the theatre. Pic: Sky News
Audience members were told the remainder of the evening performance had been cancelled and were evacuated.
Paul Critchley, from Downham Market in Norfolk, was there and said it was a “shock” to witness the fall.
“The house lights came up very quickly as the stage management and front of house team dealt with the incident,” he said.
“We were evacuated immediately so that Sir Ian could be treated in privacy.”
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After his fall, The Lord Of The Rings star and Olivier Award-winner Sir Ian thanked everyone on Tuesday who had left messages of 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,” he added.
“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.”
Jess Phillips has said “nothing is off the table” when dealing with the grooming gangs scandal – including a new national inquiry if victims want one.
The safeguarding minister told Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast that she would listen to victims on a new panel that was announced by the government this week.
“Nothing is off the table,” she said.
“And if the victims come forward to me in this victims panel and they say, ‘actually, we think there needs to be a national inquiry into this’, I’ll listen to them.”
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Her comments come days after it emerged she had rejected calls from Oldham Council to hold a government inquiry into grooming gangs in the town, and said the council should commission one instead.
That has led to tech billionaire Elon Musk attacking her and Sir Keir Starmer for not holding a national inquiry and accusing the prime minister of being “complicit” in the abuse.
Professor Alexis Jay finished an eight-year national inquiry into child sexual abuse in 2022 and set out recommendations for the government.
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The Conservatives tabled an amendment to the Children’s Safeguarding and Schools Bill on Wednesday to require a statutory inquiry into grooming gangs.
However, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told Sky News the Tories “don’t care about children” as the amendment could prevent the entire bill from going forward.
She said: “The measures that I’m setting out today and the legislation in many ways go further because it puts a requirement on all councils to have teams working to keep children safe.
“And the bandwagon jumpers that have come along in recent days, they don’t care about children, they don’t care about making sure that we stop this and we take action.
“They had years to do it and they didn’t do it.”
The Conservatives also rejected a call from Oldham Council for a government inquiry in 2022.
You can listen to Beth’s full interview with Jess Phillips in a special episode of Electoral Dysfunction released on Thursday.
The 14-year-old who was stabbed to death on a bus in southeast London yesterday has been named as Kelyan Bokassa.
He was stabbed to death on a bus in Woolwich Church Street, close to the Woolwich Ferry, just before 2.30pm on Tuesday.
The teenager died at the scene shortly after medical help arrived.
The Metropolitan Police called the stabbing a “horrific attack,” while London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said the “heart-breaking violence has absolutely no place in our city”.
No arrests have been made so far but officers are appealing for witnesses who were on the 472 bus.
Tributes were left to the teenager, who was a student at St Columba’s Catholic Boys School. Pic: PA
An aspiring rapper, 14-year-old Kelyan was also “briefly” a student at St Columba’s Catholic Boys School in Bexleyheath.
The South East London Catholic Academy Trust said in a statement it was “saddened by the loss of life” and added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time.
“Our schools will provide support to any of the students who may be affected by this senseless violence.”
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Mary Bokassa, the boy’s mother, also told MailOnline that he and others “were taken advantage by gangs” and “were groomed”.
She told the outlet: “He was missing for a year and was living on the street. He finally turned up at my doorstep, he was sick, underweight and tattooed.
“He was exposed to drugs. He probably experienced something because I could sense it. He was not himself. If I questioned him, he wouldn’t tell me anything about his friends.”
Detective Chief Inspector Martin Thorpe, who is leading the investigation, said: “Following Kelyan’s tragic death yesterday, specialist officers are now leading the investigation which is progressing at pace.
“If anyone saw this horrific attack or was in the area then I urge them to come forward and speak to officers.
“We’re particularly interested in any mobile phone footage that captured this incident or any dash cam or doorbell footage from around the surrounding area at the time of this incident.”
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