has been forced to pull out of his new West End play for the second time after testing positive for Covid.
The Rocketman actor is currently starring in a revival of Mike Bartlett’s 2009 play Cock at ’s Ambassadors Theatre.
However, the show’s producer announced on Wednesday that the actor has Covid and will return to perform next week. In the meantime, he’ll be replaced by understudy Joel Harper-Jackson.
The producer announced: ‘Taron Egerton has unfortunately tested positive for Covid.
‘In accordance with the production’s health and safety protocols, he will now isolate and we expect Taron to return to the show next week.
‘The character of M will be played by Joel Harper-Jackson.’
It comes after during the opening night earlier in March, and was attended to by a doctor in the audience, with Harper-Jackson stepping in to finish the play.
One of his co-stars stopped the performance and the safety curtain came down while he was treated.
A doctor in the audience rushed backstage to help, with director Marianne Elliott appearing on stage with an update after a 40-minute break.
She took the moment to quell everyone’s fears, explaining that Taron was ‘absolutely fine’ after the incident.
A statement from the play’s production read: ‘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.’
Cock, which will run until June 4, is a rendition of Mike Bartlett’s 2009 play and also stars Jonathan Bailey, Jade Anouka and Phil Daniels.
The synopsis reads: ‘John (Jonathan Bailey) is happy in himself, and with his boyfriend (Taron Egerton), until one day he meets the woman of his dreams (Jade Anouka).
‘In a world full of endless possibilities why must we still limit ourselves with labels?’
