Welsh actor Taron Egerton fainted during the debut performance of his latest role on stage in the West End.
Egerton, whose known for his Rocketman and Kingsman roles, is currently starring in Cock at the Ambassador's Theatre in London and just 15 minutes before the play was due to wrap up the 32-year-old collapsed on stage.
A doctor was in the audience and the safety curtain came down on the stars as Egerton was given first aid. The remainder of the play continued after about 45 minutes with understudy Joel Harper-Jackson playing out the final 15 minutes.
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Theatre review site, All That Dazzles was at the performance and shared what they saw on the night: " Approximately 90 minutes into the play, with less than 15 minutes to go came an intense scene with all four actors as the play neared its climax.
"Suddenly, Taron Egerton collapsed on to the stage. Because of the nature of the scene I thought this was part of the play but it soon became very clear this was not meant to happen and something had gone very wrong.
"Both Phil Daniels and Jonathan Bailey said 'Stop the show' with Phil (Daniels) adding 'First aid'. The audience looked on in horror as Taron lay on the stage with his castmates surrounding him. A doctor was found in the audience and brought on to the stage to check on Taron - then the safety curtain came down."
The play’s production gave an official statement confirming what happened during the play: "During this evening’s first preview of Mike Bartlett’s play Cock at the Ambassadors Theatre, Taron Egerton fainted towards the end of the performance.
“A doctor who was in the audience attended to Taron immediately after the incident, and whilst he felt fine, it was decided that Taron’s understudy, Joel Harper-Jackson would continue in the role to complete the performance.”
In a statement posted on Taron's Instagram on Sunday, the actor said: "I am completely fine. Slightly sore neck and a bruised ego but I'm fine."
He added that he will be back "with a vengeance" and thanked the "amazing team" at the theatre and his "wonderful" castmates.
The West End revival of Marianne Bartlett's play, Cock, sees Bailey play John, a man who is happy in himself and in his relationship with boyfriend M (Egerton), but whose world is turned upside down when he meets the woman of his dreams (Anouka).
Last month Taron, who grew up LlanfairPG and Aberystwyth spoke about his West End debut in the play on The Graham Norton Show, saying: "It’s been nine years since I have been on stage, but it was always my first love.
"In my youth I performed in musical theatre and Shakespeare and that was what I thought I would do with my life, but then after drama school I got a big film and life has happened since then, so I haven’t had a chance to do theatre. I am really excited to be back.”
Cock will run at the Ambassadors Theatre until June 4.
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