Sir Ian McKellen recently turned 85 years old. The actor is perhaps one of the most prolific actors of his generation, having been knighted by the Queen herself in 1991.

The actor is still active today, and in a recent performance of his play, ‘Player Kings,’ he fell victim to a horrendous accident. Keep reading to know more.

On Monday this week, Ian McKellen was performing at the Noël Coward Theatre in London when a horrible tragedy befell him. The 85-year-old actor fell off stage during the performance.

According to reports, the actor was acting out a fight scene in the play when he lost his footing and fell.

It is not clear what injuries he has sustained as a result of the fall, but it seems the fall signalled the end of production for the evening as the theatre was evacuated.

Player Kings is an adaptation of Parts 1 and 2 of Henry IV. McKellen is playing the lead role of Jon Falstaff. His performance in the show has been praised widely by critics and fans alike.

According to the initial reports, the incident occurred as McKellen’s Falstaff circled a battle which involved his co-lead Toheeb Jimoh, who plays Henry Percy. During this scene, the actor fell off stage and cried for help. The actor was subsequently rushed to the hospital.

The theatre released an official statement to the press, which said, “Thank you to our audience and the general public for their well wishes following Ian’s fall during this evening’s performance.”

“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 statement went on to say. “The production has made the decision to cancel the performance on Tuesday 18 June so Ian can rest. Those affected will be contacted by their point of purchase as soon as possible tomorrow. Thank you to doctors Rachel and Lee who were on hand in the audience and to all the venue staff for their support.”

An audience member present during the accident said later that it was “very shocking” and recounted it to the media, “As far as I saw, he was conscious because he was asking for assistance.”

Journalist Charlie Johnson, was in attendance at the theater when the incident took place. They took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to recount their experience of the incident.

“Just witnessed Ian Mckellan severely injure himself after falling off stage at Noel Coward Theatre. Sir Ian could be heard screaming in pain as ushers rushed to his aid,” he wrote. “Show cancelled as he is treated by ambulance crews. Wish him all the best.”

The production was scheduled to tour a series of theaters in London through July 27. Currently, it is unclear how McKellen’s fall would affect the schedule of the production.