Image: Unsplash
by Saoirse Anton
The evenings are drawing in, the jumpers have been rescued from the back of the wardrobe, the heating has been (reluctantly) turned on, and pumpkins are beginning to grin from windows – Halloween is just around the corner. Since its origins in the ancient Celtic Samhain celebrations, Halloween has been one of our most theatrical holidays. People dress up in costume, create decorations and props, go guising door to door, sometimes performing a song or poem on the doorstep, tell ghost stories to each other, and bring the products of our imaginations to life. Sound familiar?
Beyond the Halloween season, theatre has always been rife with superstitions and ghost stories. After all, where better for those things to incubate than in the home of smoke and mirrors (though superstition would argue that mirrors on stage are bad luck!)? In dark buildings that have played host to hundreds of people who are encouraged to let their imaginations run riot, it is unsurprising that hundreds of theatres have ghost stories attached to them, and in a business as unpredictable as ours, it is no wonder that we have numerous superstitions.
Theatre ghost stories are often excellent, from a deceased playwright appearing on stage to take a bow at the opening of his final, posthumously premiered, play, to the ghost of a theatre manager who reappears to watch shows the venue (but only comedies!). However, if I delve into any more of them I certainly won’t sleep tonight, so instead let’s dive into the store of theatrical superstition. As with any superstitions, the origins of most of these are debated and there are various stories accompanying each, but as this is my column, we’re going with my favourite versions. If you have other versions, or any superstitions that I haven’t included, do share them – the more stories, the better!
The Ghost Light: I particularly like the practicality of this one. The ghost light is a single bare bulb left lit in the auditorium to ward off (or appease, depending on who you ask), any mischievous ghosts who may be hanging around the theatre. It serves a double purpose however, as it means any clumsy colleague who may be opening up the auditorium won’t stumble over set or into the orchestra pit on the hunt for a light switch. We don’t need to add to the number of theatre ghosts!
No Whistling: Another practical superstition. Many years ago stage hands were often sailors who were working ashore (just think of the complicated knots and pulleys in a ship’s rigging, and then picture a theatre’s flying system and you’ll see why). While they were backstage, they would use a series of specific whistles to signal to each other for scene changes or cues, so any misfortunate actor who whistled without knowing the system might just end up with a piece of the set on their head. While that risk is no longer present, a superstition that it is bad luck to whistle on stage has persisted.
The Scottish Play: One of the most well-known superstitions. It is believed that it is bad luck to say “Macbeth” in a theatre. There are various theories as to the origin of this one. Some people believe that the witches’ incantations are based in real witchcraft, others believe that the first actor to play Lady Macbeth died during the run (and was replaced by Shakespeare himself), leading to a curse on the play. The one I believe is that Macbeth was always the reliable production that a theatre would put on to fill the house if they were in dire financial straits. No one wanted to say Macbeth, because to say it would be to admit that the venue or company was in trouble.
Break a Leg: Ironically, it is believed to be bad luck to wish someone “good luck” before a performance so instead people say “break a leg.” This superstition also has dozens of origin stories, from the thought that Ancient Greek audiences used to stamp their feet instead of clapping and if you gave a good enough performance someone would break a leg with their enthusiastic stamping, to the idea that you would get so many curtain calls that the curtain leg would break. My favourite, which I was told on a theatre tour some years ago, is that it has its origins in times where people travelled to the theatre by horse and carriage. If you had a full house, the street would be full of horses’ droppings, and someone leaving the theatre may slip on them and break a leg, so it was a wish for a sold-out show. This also ties in with the French tradition of saying Merde! Instead of “good luck.”
Between collective superstitions and people’s own personal superstitions, there are dozens more that I could mention, and I’m sure there are hundreds more again that I have never even heard of, but I’ll hand it over to you now. What theatre superstitions or traditions do you have, and where do they come from? Or perhaps you are more sceptical, like Groucho Marx whose take on superstition was the pithy line:
“If a black cat crosses your path, it signifies that the animal is going somewhere.”
