Haunting of the Famous Theatre Royal in LondonLondon's famous Theatre Royal is said to be haunted by the ghost of John Baldwin Buckstone, an actor and playwright from the mind 1800's
During a performance of Waiting for Godot at London's Theatre Royal, Sir Patrick Stewart came offstage during the interval and told his co-star, Sir Ian McKellen, "I just saw a ghost, on stage, during Act One." Nigel Everett, a theatre director, later commented, "Patrick was stunned. I would not say frightened, but I would say impressed."
According to Stewart, the apparition was once that of a person who used to be standing in the wings dressed in what seemed like a beige coat and twill trousers. The consensus amongst stagehands was that Sir Patrick had observed the ghost of John Baldwin Buckstone (1802-1879). Buckstone had a long affiliation with the Theatre Royal in the 19th century, first as a comic actor, then as a playwright and finally as its actor-manager from 1853 to 1877. During this time, he staged some 200 productions, pioneered the idea of the afternoon matinee, and remodelled the house into the leading comic theatre of the day.
Is John Baldwin Buckstone Haunting Theatre Royal?
Buckstone was once a great pal of Charles Dickens (1812-1870), who once confessed that, as a boy, he had been so moved by Buckstone's performances that he went home to 'dream of his comicalities.' In 1857, Ellen Ternan, the young actress who was once stated to have been Dickens' mistress, appeared at the theatre in Buckstone's burlesque Atalanta.
Dickens seems to have been instrumental in acquiring this and other roles for her since he wrote to Buckstone, "I shall at all times regard your remembering her as an act of personal friendship on the termination of the present engagement, I am hoping you will tell me, before you tell her, what you see for her coming in the future."
Although Buckstone did not die in the building (he died at home in Kent), his ghost made the first of its returns to the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, within a year of his demise. Since then, several illustrious theatrical figures have noticed his spectral shape in parts of the building, where he seems to appear each time comedies are staged.
Sir Donald Sinden noticed him while playing The Heiress with Ralph Richardson in 1949. As Sir Donald and the actress Gill Cadell had been coming down the stairs from their dressing rooms en route to the stage, they passed the solid figure of a man wearing an old-fashioned darkish suit taking a look out of the window into Suffolk Street, which is situated at the back of the theatre. Since this used to be the floor where Ralph Richardson's dressing room used to be situated, they presumed it was he, bade him "Good evening Ralph," and, on receiving no reply, continued on their way towards the stage. However, having descended one flight, they suddenly realised that Richardson must be on stage.
Hurrying back up to see why he was not, they were stunned to find the figure had long gone. Indeed, there was no sign of the man anyplace.
Buckstone's ghost was once also noticed by the actress Fiona Fullerton whilst she was appearing in an Oscar Wilde play. People passing what was once the Number One Dressing Room, which had been Buckstones' room, now the manager's office, have heard somebody rehearsing their lines inside; however, after they open the door, the room is always empty.
