Veteran actor Julien Arnold dies on stage during A Christmas Carol performance

A veteran stage actor has collapsed and died on stage during a performance of A Christmas Carol.

Julien Arnold suffered a medical emergency in front of a horrified audience at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Canada, on Sunday.

He died at the scene. A cause of death has not been revealed.

“A cherished member of the Edmonton theatre community, Julien was a gifted performer whose charisma and talent graced our stage in countless productions, including A Christmas Carol,” the theatre said.

“Julien’s passing is a profound loss to his family, friends, fellow Carol company members, Citadel staff, and the Edmonton community he loved so dearly.

“His presence brought joy, heart and depth to every role, and his artistic contributions - and big hugs - will be deeply missed.”

Friend Lianna Makuch who attended the performance, said “Julien was a generous and magnetic performer—a true artist deeply cherished by the theatre community he loved so much”.

The Theatre Network said Arnold’s legacy “will live on through the stories he told, the lives he touched, and the community he inspired. He will be deeply missed.”

The theatre has dedicated the season’s run of A Christmas Carol to his memory. He had played the roles of Marley and Mr Fezziwig.

Arnold had previously played the role of Bob Crachit in A Christmas Carol (Citadel Theatre, 2009), The Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz (2009), Cogsworth in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (2010) and Bottom in A Midsummer’s Night Dream (2012).

A fundraiser has been started to support Arnold’s wife Sheiny with “funeral costs, rent, groceries, and time off work to grieve”.