TOP comedian Steve Coogan has pulled out of his Dublin performance last minute due to a sudden illness.
The BAFTA award winning actor was due to appear at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre for his stage production of Stanley Kubrick’s Dr Strangelove last night.
It had been confirmed that Steve was suffering from laryngitis and had no choice but to withdraw from Thursday night’s show.
On the night Coogan was set to perform, ticket holders received a text message to inform them that the actor would not be appearing in the stage production.
Actor Ben Deery, who is known for And Then There Were None, A Street Cat Named Bob, replaced Coogan on stage.
It is not yet known if the star will be back for tonight’s performance.
And fans have still not gained any new information regarding Steve’s future performances of the play, which is due to run until February 22.
Ticket holders have also been advised that refunds will be made available at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre before 5pm on Monday, February 17.
The critically acclaimed Dr Strangelove is a dark comedy that follows a rogue US general who triggers a nuclear crisis.
Previously speaking about his role in the adaptation, Coogan said: “The idea of putting Dr Strangelove on stage is daunting. A huge responsibility.
“It’s also an exciting challenge, an opportunity to bring this timeless classic to a new audience.
“Knowing that I will be part of a creative team led by Sean Foley and Armando Iannucci means I will be working with the best people.
“Sean is a master of stage comedy and Armando and I started working with each other over 30 years ago.
“We made some memorable comedy together so it’s great to be collaborating with him once again.
“And we are thrilled to have the opportunity to take our version of this unique story to Dublin – where it will have its Irish Premiere at Dublin’s beautiful Bord Gáis Energy Theatre.”
Meanwhile, Steve recently revealed the future of his hit TV series after he swerved a driving ban.
STEER CLEAR
The actor and comedian was hauled in front of a judge after being caught speeding on the M6 last year.
But in an attempt to avoid getting disqualified from driving, Steve penned a letter to the court, pleading to keep his license.
According to the Evening Standard, the 59-year-old said in the document he needed to be able to drive to film a new series of The Trip.
The publication quotes Steve telling Birmingham Magistrates Court: “I have a series of important film commitments scheduled for 2025, many of which involve driving as a central component of the work.””
He continued: “I am due to appear in a well-established TV series called ‘The Trip’ (with Rob Brydon) which as the title suggests requires me to drive.
“This starts filming towards the end of June 2025 and if I were unable to drive, the production would likely be unable to proceed.”