For actors, seeing a ghost in the theatre is a sign of good fortune. To the rest of us, it’s just terrifying.
Considering the history of London’s West End, it’s not surprising that stories have developed over the years of hauntings and spooky apparitions.
Many theatre patrons, performers and staff have reported seeing spectral figures floating about, so we’ve gathered a few of these stories.
If you’re of the faint-hearted constitution, continue with caution.
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
This theatre is as haunted as it gets. A number of ghosts walk the halls and stalls of Drury Lane, the most famous of which is the Man in Grey. Eyewitnesses have reported seeing a 18th century nobleman dressed in a tricorne hat, cape and riding boots in the upper circle, even telling audience members to "shhh". He is said to be the ghost of a man whose stabbed skeleton was discovered in a walled up passage near the royal box when the theatre was undergoing renovations. He’s not alone: the ghosts of clowns Joseph Grimaldi and Dan Leno have also been spotted roaming the stage.
Dominion Theatre
A terrible disaster occurred at the brewery that used to occupy the Dominion Theatre’s plot. History tells us this much: In 1814, 3,550 barrels of beer burst and caused a wave of beer that swept through the area, flattening buildings and killing eight people including teenage brewery worker Eleanor Cooper. Now for the supernatural: theatre patrons have claimed to hear a child giggling and some have even caught her on camera. Terrifying.
Adelphi Theatre
Shakespearean actor William Terriss was murdered at the Adelphi’s stage door in 1897 by a former friend and fellow actor Richard Archer Prince. He died in the arms of his leading lady and rumoured lover, who he vowed to visit after his death. He is said to knock on her dressing room door to this day and has also, in the past, been spotted in the now closed Covent Garden tube station.
Theatre Royal Haymarket
Theatre Royal Haymarket has a friendly ghost in the shape of former manager John Baldwin Buckstone, who wrote and directed hundreds of plays at the theatre in the 1800s. He’s been spotted by a number of actors including Dame Judi Dench, Fiona Fullerton and Sir Patrick Stewart, who claimed to spot the man in a beige coat and twill trousers watching his performance in Waiting for Godot. He is said to prefer comedies though.
Her Majesty’s Theatre
Sir Herbert Beerbohm-Tree (fantastic name) was an actor and manager of Her Majesty’s Theatre, funding its rebuild in 1899. His favourite place to watch performances was said to be the top box on stage right. Audience members sitting in the top box have complained of sudden temperature drops and the door swinging open of its own accord. Sceptics might say the hinges just need fixing but the theatre is now the home to The Phantom of the Opera – that’s a spooky coincidence.
