A man fainted in the middle of Russell Tovey's Broadway play A View from The Bridge last weekend - just as the British actor took off his shirt.

The performance was halted because Davin Cutchall passed out in the stalls when the Looking star began to strip (via Playbill).

He was taken from the Lyceum Theater on Broadway to a nearby hospital, but what bystanders had feared was a heart attack turned out to be a simple case of... overexcitement.

Cutchall - who had driven six hours to see the play - apologised on Twitter for the incident, which halted the show for 15 minutes.

He was back on his feet in time to catch the Sunday matinee.

Fellow Brit Mark Strong is also starring in A View from the Bridge alongside Tovey and his chest.