One of the most haunted theaters in the world is the old Drury Lane
Theater in
London, England. It has been haunted for many years.
Many ghosts have been seen in this historical theater which was built
in 1663. One of the ghosts is that of Charles Macklin.
When he was alive he had lost his temper and ended up killing another
actor by the name of Thomas Hallam in a fight. Never
being convicted he lived to be 107 years old and his ghost is normally
seen backstage where the murder took place. It is
believed by many that Macklins ghost is doomed to the corridor for all
of
eternity as punishment for his crime.
The
Ghost of King Charles II was also seen at Drury Lane Theater. He was a
big fan
of the theater before he died and apparently still is.
Other ghosts seen at Drury are the ghosts of Joe Grimaldi, who was
an actor as well as a clown during his lifetime, and
also Charles Keene, a nineteenth century actor. The most famous of all
the ghosts that haunts Drury Lane is the Man in Gray,
whose identity is unknown. This ghost is said to be well dressed, good
looking, wears a long gray cloak(which he gets his
name from) a powdered wig, and a three cornered hat. Very eighth century
looking. Other features include a sword(under his gray
cloak), boots, and ruffled sleeves.
This spook is mostly seen between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.(which is not during
the usual
hours of ghost sightings). To those who work and run
the theater, he is a sign of good luck. They say he appears just before
the opening of a very successful play. He has appeared
at rehearsals most of the time, and has also been seen at matinees.
Only one time was he ever seen backstage. When someone
gets to close to the ghost it vanishes. The closest people have gotten
is about 40 feet before the ghost disappears.
Some believe the ghost is that of a
noble man who had been in love with one of the leading
ladies at Drury. In 1848 the theater was being renovated and some
workmen
broke down a wall revealing a hidden chamber. Inside
they found a male skeleton that had a dagger between his ribs. In the
legend, another man that had also wanted the lovely
actress, had stabbed the man to death and sealed his body behind a new
wall, covering an area of the theater that was hardly
ever used.
