'Lord of the Rings' set traps actor's leg

LONDON, England (AP) -- A London performance of the "Lord of the Rings" musical ended abruptly with actors dressed as Hobbits, elves and dwarfs rushing to help a screaming cast member whose leg was trapped in set machinery.

The producers of the stage adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy saga said in a statement they had canceled preview shows scheduled for Thursday and Friday to modify the set to prevent further accidents.

Previews were due to resume on Saturday, they said. The show's official opening is June 19.

"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," the statement said.

Salter shouted out, "My leg! My leg," as actors were making a stage exit on Wednesday night, The Evening Standard reported. The newspaper published a photo of Salter being loaded into an ambulance on a stretcher outside the stage doors.

He was treated at a local hospital for an injured leg, but he suffered no broken bones, the producers said.

The $23 million show premiered in Toronto, because no theater that was large enough was available in London. The show, based on Tolkien's literary trilogy about a Hobbit named Frodo and his quest to rid Middle-earth of evil, has been trimmed and reworked since its Toronto run, which earned mixed reviews. The Toronto production closed last week after a six-month run.
The Theatre Royal in London's West End was closed for four months while the stage and set were built. The 45-foot, $2 million stage features 17 hydraulic lifts underneath it.

The stage jammed during the show's first British performance earlier this month and the sound cut out on Aragorn, played by Jerome Pradon, in mid-battle cry. The curtain was hurriedly drawn before normal service was restored.