Actor Jarryd Nurden, a known name in theatre has finally made his return to the West End stage six months after his surgery that removed half of his lung due to a rare cancer. Jarryd first thought he had nothing more than a stubborn winter bug. In late 2022, he came down with what felt like a “very bad flu,” pushing through fatigue and discomfort while performing in a Christmas pantomime. He assumed it was simply illness made worse by long rehearsals and a busy stage schedule. But the symptoms persisted, and further medical checks revealed something far more serious than a seasonal infection.A Flu That Turned Out To Be A Lung CancerWhat Jarryd thought was flu turned out to be a rare form of lung cancer. The doctors re-examined the old medical scans, which had shown minor scarring, which was thought to be form a childhood drowning accident. This is when the doctors discovered a tumor had doubled in size, and it grew from two to four centimeters. In January 2023, the same day he received news that he had secured a role in We Will Rock You, Jarryd attended an appointment at Guy’s Hospital, where doctors told him about the tumor. “When I had that phone call, that’s when my world crashed,” he told The Independent. “I was like: ‘I’m properly screwed.’”The Diagnosis Of The Rare Lung CancerAfter months of tests and a keyhole surgery in August 2023 to examine the tumor, doctors confirmed it was primary malignant neuroendocrine neoplasm of the lung (atypical carcinoid), a rare form of lung cancer.“That phone call I’ve always described as being underwater,” he said to The Independent. “Everything just slows down, and you’re like: ‘Oh, I have cancer’… I don’t drink, I don’t smoke… How’s this happening?”Though the tumor was removed, some cancerous cells remained. Jarryd was given a choice: chemotherapy and radiotherapy, or a major operation to remove part of his lung. He chose surgery.In October 2023, he underwent a completion lobectomy, removing the entire lower lobe of his left lung. The recovery was brutal. “Recovery was really hard… I think it was touch and go at one point,” he shared with The Independent. Complications meant four months in hospital, a second open surgery due to infections, and enduring the most intense pain he had ever felt.Despite the hardship, the Actors’ Trust helped support him financially while he was unable to work. He underwent additional treatment in July 2024 to insert stents into a chest fistula and continued healing.Way Back To The StageAgainst all odds, just three months after his last surgery, Jarryd accepted an offer to join the international tour of Chicago, covering the role of Mary Sunshine. He rehearsed for one day in London, flew to China, had a two-hour rehearsal, and stepped onstage.“It was do or die… The challenge was intense,” he told The Independent. Taking his bow afterward was overwhelming. “It was immense gratitude… for being back on stage… being with such a supportive company.”He added, “I think when you go through something very life-changing, you stop sweating the small stuff… You do have that second chance at life, essentially.”
Email
Google
Facebook Email Google Facebook