Slater escapes knife attack

American actor Christian Slater has escaped a knife attack after a performance of his show in London's West End.

Slater, 35, has been starring in a stage version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at the Gielgud Theatre. The play has just ended a three-month season.

Media reports said Slater's bodyguard took the brunt of the knife attack, which occurred outside the theatre.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said police were called to Shaftesbury Avenue in the heart of London's theatreland at 11pm after reports of an attempted stabbing.

"A 44-year-old man was attacked by a knife which luckily did not penetrate his skin but only his clothes," she said. A knife was recovered from the scene and police are continuing to investigate.

The New York-born Slater, star of films True Romance and Interview With The Vampire, made his British stage debut last August when One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest played during the Edinburgh Film Festival, before moving to London.

No comment was available from Slater's agent.

- REUTERS