Michael Gambon: My memory is so bad, I’m a risk on stage now

Sir Michael Gambon says his memory is so bad it is “dangerous” for him to appear on stage.

The star of Harry Potter and The Singing Detective said he was forced to pull out of a major Alan Bennett premiere four years ago after collapsing in terror at being unable to remember his lines.

Gambon, 72, was twice rushed from the National Theatre to St Thomas’ Hospital by ambulance during rehearsals for The Habit of Art and was eventually replaced in the role of WH Auden by Richard Griffiths. He said: “It was a really major, big part. I think I got so frightened that I collapsed.” He was sure it was psychosomatic but told The Times the fear he felt was “overwhelming”.