Tradition sees one light left on at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre during lockdown – to keep the ghosts at peace
The majestic Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton has been evacuated, locked up, and plunged into darkness – closed for the foreseeable future while the coronavirus pandemic is at its peak.
But one light has been left on, to follow a long tradition – and superstition – of keeping the 'theatre ghosts' at peace.
CEO at The Grand Adrian Jackson said is rumoured that the city centre theatre is haunted by two spirits; its former manager Percy Purdey, who ran The Grand during the first half of the 20th Century and who also lived in an apartment just upstairs.
The other is known as the Grey Lady or the Lavender Lady – named because whenever she is spotted she is accompanied by the smell of lavender – who was an audience member and a former mayoress of Wolverhampton. She allegedly fell to her death from one of the theatre boxes.
Mr Jackson said: "The world of theatre is surrounded in superstition – there's lots of sayings and superstitions we have. And one is a light – we call the ghost light.
"Theatres are never really dark. We're 125 years old and an almost seven days a week, 24 hours a day operation. There's always something going on. So when you get a prolonged period of absence like now, then superstitions really kick in.
"Appeasing your theatre ghosts and making them feel like they have not been left alone in the theatre is one of them."
He added: "The Grand is reported to have two ghosts, although in my five years I have not yet seen them myself. So when we're away, we keep a light on for them. Other theatres do all sorts of things too. Palace Theatre in London keeps two seats free always, so their two ghosts can watch their shows.
"We have two ghosts – one is guy called Percy Purdey, who used to be manager in the first half of the 20th Century. He lived in a flat at the theatre and still lived there when he retired. He was reported to be a man of habit, walking round the building. He used to go down to the basement when a bar used to be there for a nightcap before he turned in. He's been spotted in the theatre over the years.
"If you talk to staff, they say they hear footsteps, or locked doors suddenly becoming unlocked, or glasses moving, all those sorts of things. Lots of artists have commented about strange happening as well."
Mr Jackson said the only supernatural thing he had witnessed was a ghostly face peering out of a photo of a group of dancers in one of the dressing rooms. He said it was something none of the staff have been able to explain.
He added: "The other ghost is a lady known as the Grey Lady or Lavender Lady - as whenever she is seen you can smell lavender. She was an audience member, going back years, and alleged to have been a former mayoress of Wolverhampton. Apparently she fell to her death from one of boxes, there are all sorts of myths.
"We thought by putting on the ghost light – it's an old theatre lamp – on centre stage - then if the ghosts want to do a performance they can feel their theatre is still alive.
"It hasn't been dark like this since the end of the 1970s when we were forced to close. We don't know how long we will be be gone for but we can't turn the lights out, we have to keep the heart of The Grand beating."
The Grand theatre recently announced it would remain closed until Sunday, May 31.
