Most visitors to London enjoy at least one night out at the theatre but few of them realize that they may well be spending the evening in the company of a ghost or two. It's understandable why actors, who enjoy being in the spotlight, find it difficult to leave the stage to move on to pastures new and heavenly. Why should a little thing like death stop them from entertaining the crowds?
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The most unusual theatre ghost is probably that of "The Man in Grey." While most spirits and ghoulish apparitions tend to come out at night, "The Man in Grey" appears during daylight hours -- more specifically, between 10am and 4pm. Obviously the guy likes to be where the action is but has chosen to keep away from the rush hour traffic! Clever ghost! "The Man in Grey" haunts the oldest theatre in London whilst clothed in a long gray cloak and an old-fashioned three-cornered hat of the type often worn by 18th century gentlemen. On one occasion, more than a hundred and fifty people saw him simultaneously, although another hundred said they saw nothing at all. Some actors have said that they've felt a pat on the back during a performance and Harry Secombe said that he saw the ghost in his dressing room during the 1960s. In 1850, during re-building work, the skeleton of a man with a dagger in his ribs was found in a previously unknown room. It's within feet of this site that the man most often makes his presence known.Nobody knows who he is but it's said that if he's seen during rehearsals, the performance will be a great success.
The Adelphi Theatre
Back in 1897, a jealous rival, Richard Prince, murdered actor William Terriss outside the stagedoor of the Adelphi Theatre. Poltergeist activity is said to have been reported on numerous occasions and the ghost of Terriss, first reported in 1928, has been seen both on stage and backstage as well as at nearby Covent Garden tube station.
Her Majesty's Theatre, Haymarket
It isn't only actors who find it difficult to leave the world of acting. Former manager of "Her Majesty's Theatre," John Buckstone, died over 120 years ago but still haunts the old but beautifully appealing theatre.Margaret Rutherford, Micheal Flanders, and Dame Flora Robson have all experienced the ghostly phenomenon that appears in the theatre, often heard whispering in the dressing rooms backstage. Even members of the audience are said to have commented on the appearance of a tall gentleman wearing an old frock coat who appears on stage from time to time. Legend has it that the spirit of Buckstone only appears if the performance is to be particularly well received thus offsetting any nervousness that may be experienced by the performers when his presence is seen. This could, of course, also be an example of wishful thinking.
The Palladium
There are few performers who haven't dreamed of performing at The London Palladium but how many of them knew they'd be sharing the theatre with a beautiful lady in a marvelous crinoline dress? Helen Campbell was a former resident of Argyll House, a building that once stood of the site of the theatre. Common belief is that the ghost that haunts the Crimson Staircase is that of Helen although there are different opinions, with some believing that she's a member of the Royal family. This idea probably came about because she's also said to occasionally watch a show from the "Royal Circle." Whoever she is, she's always impeccably dressed and never appears to deliberately scare anybody.