Sir Ian McKellen, 85, has withdrawn from the remaining performances and the subsequent national tour of Player Kings from July 3 to 27 to prioritize his recovery.
McKellen, suffered a fall during a performance of the play Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre in London on June 17, leading to his hospitalization for three nights.
McKellen's understudy, David Semark, has taken over the role of Sir John Falstaff for the national tour.
Although scans predicted a quick recovery, McKellen accepted the doctors' advice to rest and ensure a complete recovery, expressing disappointment at missing the tour but emphasizing his health as the primary concern.
The production company stated that not participating in the tour would allow McKellen to fully recover.
Player Kings merges and condenses Shakespeare's Henry IV parts one and two.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, ABC News, Der Spiegel, ABC News (Australia), Nine, La Voz, Helsingin Sanomat, Flickering Myth, Entertainment Weekly, Diario de Juárez, Inquirer, Channel NewsAsia, WKYC, New Zealand Herald, HuffPost.