When the June 13 performance of the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles production of Henry IV was halted due to an ill audience member, Oscar winner Tom Hanks kept the crowd entertained with a series of amusing ad-libs.
After the show had been stopped for several minutes, Hanks returned to the stage bellowing, “Get back here!… No one’s to leave!” The stage and screen star also joked, “God has decided this play needed a second intermission!… Get back here or find this sword and many a dagger placed neatly in the tires of your carriage!”
Hanks also brought an audience member onstage, joking that she had stolen his costume. Watch Hanks’ antics in the video above.
While waiting for paramedics, the unconscious audience member was attended to by members of the production's crew, which is composed of military veterans who have medical training, according to the Orange County Register. The ill audience member, suffering from a hydration issue, was eventually driven to his home by friends.
The Daniel Sullivan-helmed production condenses the Bard’s two-part history into a one-evening distillation of the exploits of Falstaff and Prince Hal. The cast also includes Hamish Linklater, Joe Morton, Harry Groener, and Tony winner Rondi Reed.
Performances continue through July 1 at the Japanese Garden on the West Los Angeles VA Campus.
