Now Performing At Drury Lane...........

The Theatre Royal is the oldest working theatre in London and is also one of the most haunted. Originally built in 1663 although the present building only dates from 1812. Here is the story of its three famous ghosts.

Joseph Grimaldi

was born in London in 1779. He was the founding father of all modern day clowns and is still remembered annually by clowns in their own church, Holy Trinity in Dalston, East London. He was the original “Clown Joey”. Since his time all clowns have been referred to as “Joey”. Grimaldi started the trend of wearing white make-up and his personal trademark was two bright red triangles on his cheeks. He sang comic songs and performed in the earliest Pantomimes eventually changing from straightforward clown to Pantomime Dame. He was the person who established the tradition of the Panto Dame. He became the mainstay of the Drury Lane Theatre.

In 1823, bad health and exhaustion forced him to retire at the early age of 45. Years of athletic stage performances had taken their toll - he could hardly walk. He became penniless and was helped by other stars giving benefit performances and by a £100 per year pension from the Drury Lane Theatrical Fund. His last years were spent sitting by the fire in a pub and every night he was carried home on the back of the Landlord. He now haunts the theatre he so loved and is a mischievous spirit. Actors, cleaners, all sorts of staff have felt his spectral boot on their backsides as they go about their work. He made a strange final request - that prior to his burial his head should be removed from his body. This request was apparently carried out and his disembodied white face has been seen floating around the theatre on many occasions.

DAN LENO.

Dan Leno was born in London in 1860 and he was to take up the mantle of Grimaldi. He started originally as a clog dancer but went on to perform monologues and comic songs. He first appeared as a Panto Dame in 1886. The following year he was booked to appear at Drury Lane where he was to remain for sixteen years as the star. The role of Mother Goose was specially created for him. In 1901 he appeared by Royal Command before King Edward V11 which earned him the title of “The King’s Jester”. The strain of his success was too much for him and in 1903 he suffered a breakdown. He died completely insane the following year at the age of only 44.  Dan had an embarrassing problem - he suffered from chronic incontinence and to disguise the odour he would douse himself with cologne. The strong smell of lavender is often very noticeable around the theatre although Lavender is never used there.  People passing the dressing room which was once occupied by Leno often hear the rhythmic drumming of feet. Dan is still there rehearsing his clog dancing. Actors and others have also found themselves being pushed in the back when passing this room and occasionally, onstage.

THE MAN IN GREY

Perhaps he is the most famous of them all although nobody knows who exactly he is or was. The spirit is of a young man wearing a powdered wig, white-ruffed shirt, grey riding cloak and three-cornered hat. He also walks with a limp. He defies tradition by always appearing during the hours of daylight. He materializes on one side of the upper circle and crosses to the other side where he astonishes witnesses by melting into the wall. More than half the cast of "The Dancing Years" were on stage for a photo call when they all witnessed the ghost cross the upper circle and disappear. He has been seen by audience members, famous actors, firemen, stage-hands, managers and many other staff at the theatre. He is sometimes spotted sitting in the end seat of the fourth row by the central gangway of the upper circle. A cleaner, thinking it was a real person actually went to speak to him at 10a.m. one morning. He vanished before her eyes and she was very startled to look around and see him disappearing into the wall.

During theatre renovations in the 1870’s a hidden room was discovered behind a wall, the very wall through which the man in grey always vanishes. Inside workmen found the skeleton of a man. It was surrounded by remnants of a grey cloak and had a dagger protruding from the rib cage. It is only speculation but the story goes  that the remains were those of a young man who came up to London during the time of Queen Anne. He fell in love with an actress at the theatre and was murdered by her lover in a fit of jealous rage and his body hidden and the crime concealed.

The man in grey is a very popular ghost with the management and actors as heonly ever appears at thebeginning of a successful run at the theatre. Such shows as "The King and I", "South Pacific", "Oklahoma" and "Miss Saigon" have been honoured by his presence but there have been many others. He is therefore considered a good omen and treated with affection and good humour. He is also known to push performers to positions on the stage from where they can deliver their lines to best advantage. He has become the stuff of theatrical legend.

Among show business people it is said "the show must go on".  For Joseph Grimaldi and Dan Leno, it certainly does.