Green Day played a surprise gig at the Broadway musical American Idiot on Thursday (April 22).

The band took to the stage as the curtain came down on the third night of the production in New York.

Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong told surprised fans at the St. James Theatre that he was pleased to be spending his “first night on Broadway”.

Surrounded by members of the show’s cast, the band played the single ‘American Idiot’ and ‘Basket Case’, reports MTV.

As previously reported, American Idiot the musical tells the story of three frustrated youths as they search for meaning post-9/11.

The production has received a mixed response from critics, with the New York Post saying it was “only a breath away from an American Idol”.

(by Jason Gregory)