Sir Ian McKellen was forced to cancel a matinee performance of King Lear after revealing that he had injured himself while running for a train. The Lord of the Rings actor, 79, posted a statement on Twitter revealing that he strained his muscle after his leg gave way, but was on the mend for future shows. Instead of the play, the actor instead sat in front of the audience and conducted a Q&A. Ian's statement read: "I hadn't long been up before I set off for yesterday's matinee of King Lear. At the underground station I galloped up 45 steps to catch the train above. Once on it, I skipped along the carriage and my left leg gave way. A strained calf muscle was diagnosed and was painfully pummelled back into life."
© Photo: Getty ImagesIan went to stage to chat to the audience members
He continued: "With a walking stick, I managed the evening performance but not the afternoon one. Instead, I chatted onstage to the audience while they waited for their money back and I tried out a few new routines and some old ones – a bit of Gandalf and a couple of Shakespeare speeches." Audience members were quick to discuss Ian's Q&A on Twitter, with one writing: "Standing ovation for Sir Ian McKellen, who welcomed his cast mates to the stage after being unable to perform. While I’m obviously disappointed to not see King Lear, it was a privilege to hear McKellen share his thoughts on theatre this afternoon."
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Another person wrote: "Went to see Sir Ian McKellen as King Lear, he injured his leg on the way there so the show was cancelled but he sat and talked to us for 90 minutes. Absolutely incredible. He answered questions, told us stories, Gandalfed twice and acted several Shakespeare scenes off the top of his head. Experience of a lifetime!"
