Rings performances cancelled after actor hurts leg

Theatre bosses have been forced to cancel performances of the Lord of the Rings, the most expensive musical in history, after an actor injured his leg on stage.

Designers are now looking at adapting the staging of the £25m (€37m) show.

Thursday and Friday night’s performances have been axed after the actor yelled out in pain and was taken to hospital while performing in front of a shocked audience last night.

The decision will be a blow to the lavish show, which features a 45ft-diameter £1m (€1.5m) stage with 17 hydraulic lifts underneath it.

Last night’s performance was brought to an early close when actor Adam Salter yelled out in pain after hurting his leg while playing a Ranger.

The actor is thought to have got his leg caught in the set machinery when he suddenly shouted out “my leg, my leg”.

Theatre bosses have now decided to look at modifying the staging of the production before resuming preview performances on Saturday.

Last night’s incident took place not long after the three-hour West End adaptation of the JRR Tolkien trilogy had started at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

Mr Salter’s leg has not been broken but was hurt, according to a spokesman for the production.

The audience watched as other actors, dressed up as hobbits, elves and dwarfs, rushed to help the injured star.

One audience member told the Evening Standard newspaper in London: “The actors were exiting stage right when I heard a noise and somebody shouted: ’My leg, my leg!’ At first nobody was sure if it was part of the story or not.”

Another said: “There’s so much machinery on stage, which is in semi-gloom for much of the time, that it’s not altogether surprising that someone has been injured like this.”

The show’s world premiere took place in Toronto after producers were unable to find an available British theatre large enough at the time.

The Theatre Royal was closed for four months for the stage and set to be built for its London debut.

At the show’s first British performance earlier this month the stage jammed and the sound cut out with Aragorn, played by Jerome Pradon, in mid-battle cry.

The curtain was hurriedly drawn before normal service was restored.

A statement released today said: “Due to an incident which occurred during last night’s performance of The Lord of the Rings, resulting in Adam Salter (playing a Ranger) injuring his leg, the creative team are today and tomorrow, looking at modifying the staging in order that the show will begin preview performances again at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane at the matinee performance this Saturday 2 June.

“Ticket holders for the cancelled performances should contact their point of purchase.”

The official opening takes place on June 19.