A London theatregoer has described the second Sir Ian McKellen fell off stage and into her lap, saying she “went into shock.”

Johanna Dart was attending a manufacturing of Participant Kings on the Noel Coward Theatre in London’s West Finish on Monday night when the Lord of the Rings star misplaced his footing throughout a battle scene and fell off the stage into the entrance row the place she was sitting.

Dart informed the BBC: “Getting crushed by Gandalf the Gray, that’s one thing you don’t anticipate.”

She recalled that the 85-year-old theatrical knight appeared to journey on a prop on stage earlier than falling and touchdown head-first on her knees. She added she had been having fun with the present immensely up till that second.

Charlie Johnson, a journalist for the Kingston Courier who was within the viewers, informed ITV Information: “As we approached the interval of the play, there was a battle scene happening.

“There have been strobe lights after which all of it went darkish, at which level you could possibly see the silhouette of Sir Ian come out from the wings. And the best way the stage works on the Noel Coward, there’s type of a step down simply because the stage meets the viewers.

“I feel what occurred was he put his foot too far, type of went off that preliminary step, at which level he misplaced his steadiness and just about simply went head-first into the viewers.

“And inside seconds a blood-curdling scream arose from the actor. He was clearly in lots of ache, he was screaming, ‘Assist me.’”

Straight after the incident, McKellen was handled by paramedics and brought to hospital. The next two night’s performances have been cancelled, and it has now been introduced he is not going to be returning to the manufacturing.

Dart went residence together with her household but additionally attended hospital later that evening.

The Solar stories a press release by McKellen by way of his publicist Clair Dobbs saying: “After three nights in hospital, the consequences of my fall onstage have been totally analysed and I’m now having physiotherapy, mild train and lots of important relaxation at residence.

“In the meantime, my half in Participant Kings is stuffed by the redoubtable David Semark supported by Robert Icke’s wonderful manufacturing and solid.”