By Kathy Murray
The Drury Lane Theatre, originally built in 1663 and located in a borough of London, England, has been gutted several times due to fire and extreme renovations. While the seats and walls may not have survived these changes, the ghosts of the theatre have.
THE MAN IN GREY
The most famous of these ghosts is The Man in Grey. Dressed in 18th century clothes (a grey dress coat, tricorne hat, powdered wig, boots and a cape), the Man in Grey carries a sword and is seen by the actors as a good luck charm of sorts. He is always spotted before a good performance, but is absent before a bad one. He has been seen watching the plays from the theatre balcony, pacing back and forth as if nervous for the actors – or perhaps displeased with the night’s performances.
UNTIMELY DEATH
The Man in Grey is thought to be the victim of a murder. A century ago, construction workers tore down a wall to find a skeleton – that of a man with a knife sticking out of his ribcage. The skeleton was taken to a cemetery where he was given a proper burial. Although his body may now be at rest, the Man in Grey’s spirit sticks around the theatre, watching play after play for as long as the theatre will be around.
ARGUMENTS TURN INTO MURDER
The Man in Grey wasn’t the only one to be murdered in the Drury Lane Theatre. In 1735, actor Charles Macklin killed fellow performer Thomas Hallam in an argument. Macklin’s ghost can be seen wandering the corridor where he killed Hallam.
A LITTLE HELP FROM THE DEAD
There have been reports of at least four other ghosts, including King Charles II himself, who appeared onstage in 1948 with a group of his servants. Aside from the Man in Grey, the most helpful ghost is probably that of comedian Joe Grimaldi who died in 1837. Grimaldi’s spirit grabs the shoulders of actresses who aren’t doing so well in their performances and guides them around the stage until their acting improves. He then gives them a pat on the shoulder for a job well done.
A FRONT ROW SEAT FOR ALL ETERNITY
The spirits of the Drury Lane Theatre (except for murderous Charles Macklin) all seem helpful and therefore the actors aren’t too scared of them should they have a run-in. The ghosts have seen how the theatre has changed through the centuries. From the stuffy shows of the 17th century to the Monty Python troupe (who in 1974 released the album ‘Monty Python Live at Drury Lane’), the faces acting on the stage may have come and gone, but some of the audience members have stuck around for a very long time – and will continue to do so until the day the Drury Lane Theatre closes its doors for good.