Chichester's well wishes as Sir Ian McKellen recovers from a fall

Sir Ian, who has performed three times memorably in Chichester in the past dozen years, is said to be in “good spirits”. Sir Ian had been performing in a fight scene when he appeared to slip. He was taken to hospital and the performance was cancelled.

However, it looks – fortunately – like he will be able to make a speedy recovery. He is expected to return to the stage on Wednesday.

Sir Ian was last in Chichester for a February panto slot early last year in Mother Goose alongside John Bishop, the two combining joyously for a night of panto hilarity – six weeks after Christmas and with barely a kiddie in the audience.

For McKellen it was an ambition fulfilled, reminding us of the days most of us don’t remember when pantomime toured until Easter; in Chichester, he showed himself the perfect dame, all manner of expressions – from come-on to indignation – passing endlessly across one of theatre’s most expressive faces.

Before that, he was in Chichester for a sold-out run of King Lear in the Minerva (directed by Jonathan Munby). The production then transferred to London the following year – “for 100 performances at the Duke of York's Theatre in London where I made my West End debut in 1964,” Sir Ian said.

Before that, Sir Ian was in Chichester in The Syndicate, written by Eduardo De Filippo in a new version by Mike Poulton, directed by Sean Mathias. Sir Ian took the role of Don Antonio in the Minerva Theatre (21 July 2011 - 17 September 2011).