Ian McKellen exits 'Player Kings' stage drama after he is injured in fall

July 2 (UPI) -- Lord of the Rings and X-Men icon Ian McKellen has bowed out of the planned national tour of Player Kings after he was recently injured in a fall during a West End performance in stage drama.

McKellen, 85, is following doctor's orders by exiting the play and in order to make a full recovery, according to the drama's producers .

David Semark, McKellen's understudy, took over McKellen's role of Falstaff after McKellen lost his footing during a fight scene and fell two weeks ago.

Semark will continue playing the part when the show goes on the road Wednesday.

Update on casting for the national tour of Player Kings (3 - 27 July 2024): pic.twitter.com/Ys1ZnjZXRH — Player Kings (@PlayerKingsPlay) July 1, 2024

"It's with the greatest reluctance that I have accepted the medical advice to protect my full recovery by not working in the meantime," McKellen said in a statement.

"I had been so looking forward to bringing Player Kings to theatre-goers in Bristol, Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle," he added. "But I can assure them that, with David Semark now playing Falstaff, Robert Icke's production and his acting company remain as dazzling as ever."

The play combines and condenses William Shakespeare 's Henry IV, Parts 1 and II.