Sir Ian McKellen has returned to the stage in a grand unscheduled appearance in a Robin Hood pantomime. At the London Palladium on Saturday night, Sir Ian made a grand return to the stage, months after injuring himself from falling from a stage during a play.
![[(Picture: Cam Harris)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_233314335-f512.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Comedian Julian Clary, who plays Robin Hood announced Sir Ian’s entrance as he exclaimed: ‘And now please welcome to the stage King Richard, and he looks a lot like Sir Ian McKellen…’. ‘Hello, this is my debut at the London Palladium! And like you all I too love panto,’ said Sir Ian.
‘I can’t take it as low as you Julian as I am an actor!’ he then teased fellow star Nigel Havers: ‘Remember real acting Nigel. Look, watch and listen.’. The actor wore a long colourful flowing gown in rich shades of purple with a huge bejewelled crown and a sparkly decorated pink and blue cart.
![[(Picture: Rob Brown)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_233304267-6e3f.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
In June this year, Sir Ian fell off stage and into an audience member’s lap mid-performance while acting in the West End show Player King. The screen legend, 85, was forced to pull out of the remaining dates of the show and revealed he had some serious injuries following the incident.
‘It was horrible,’ Sir Ian said. ‘I’ve relived that fall I don’t know how many times.’. The actor was injured during an intense battle scene when his foot got caught in a chair and then he slid on a newspaper left scattered across the stage.
