Drury Lane Ghosts

Summary

Stuff You Missed in History Class

Episode: Drury Lane Ghosts

Hosts: Holly Fry & Tracy V. Wilson
Date: October 20, 2025
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

---

Overview

In this episode, Holly and Tracy dive deep into the history and ghost stories of Theater Royal Drury Lane, London’s oldest theater still in regular use and reputedly its most haunted. What starts as a story about British theatrical ghosts becomes a detailed look at the layered history of Drury Lane and its spectral inhabitants, blending theater lore, hauntings, and some particularly memorable performances—both human and spirit.

---

The History of Theater Royal Drury Lane

Foundation and Rebuilding (02:42–12:49)

• Origins: Opened May 7, 1663, built by Thomas Killigrew under a royal charter after the Puritan ban on theater was lifted by Charles II.
  • "The original Theater Royal Drury Lane opened on May 7, 1663. It was built by Thomas Killigrew under a royal charter." – Holly Fry (05:17)
• Multiple Buildings: The site has had several theaters erected, destroyed (mainly by fire), and rebuilt, always under the same charter.
• Location Note: The name “Drury Lane” is confusing—it doesn’t front on Drury Lane but on Catherine Street; the name traces to earlier buildings or Killigrew's previous ventures.
• Women on Stage: Killigrew's company, "The King’s Men," was one of the first to use women actors after the Restoration, noted by Samuel Pepys.
  • “Here, the first time that ever I saw women come upon the stage.” – Tracy V. Wilson quoting Samuel Pepys (08:07)
• Success & Strife: From 1710–1733, the theater thrived under Robert Wilkes, Colley Cibber, and Thomas Doggett. Later, mismanagement by Charles Fleetwood led to the “Drury Lane Riots.”
  • “Fleetwood, the master of Drury Lane, has omitted nothing to support them as they support his house…” – Horace Walpole, quoted by Tracy V. Wilson (09:55)
• Repeated Fires: Despite repeated claims of being “fireproof,” the theater burned down multiple times (1672, 1809).

Notable Managements & Eras (16:40–24:19)

• Successful eras led by David Garrick (1747–1776), Richard Brinsley Sheridan (from 1776), Augustus Harris (1879), and later Arthur Collins.
• The theater transitioned fully to musicals in the 1920s, then supported war efforts during WWII by hosting performances for the Entertainment National Service Association (ENSA).
• In 1958, Andrew Lloyd Webber acquired Drury Lane as part of a bid to keep live, risk-taking theater alive in London.
  • "It is vital that the theater be in the hands of people who know and love the theater." – Andrew Lloyd Webber, quoted by Tracy V. Wilson (23:23)
• A massive restoration brought the theater back to its 1812 design, winning the 2022 Stage Awards’ Theater Building of the Year.

---

The Ghosts of Drury Lane (25:16–41:55)

Charles Keane (29:08–29:43)

• Son of Edmund Keane, both actors; Charles is said to sit in the front row until a play begins, then vanishes with the curtain rise.

Charles Macklin (29:43–34:00)

• The Tragic Actor: In 1735, after a confrontation over a wig, Macklin accidentally killed fellow actor Thomas Hallam by jabbing his cane and striking Hallam’s eye.
  • “God damn you for a blackguard scrub. Rascal. How durst you have the impudence to take this wig?” – Holly Fry, recounting Macklin’s words (30:16)
• Attempted to treat Hallam’s wound with urine—a common folk remedy, which Tracy and Holly both warn against.
  • “Yeah, don't do it. Don't pee on wounds, and especially not eye wounds.” – Holly Fry/Tracy V. Wilson (32:06)
• Tried for manslaughter, sentenced to be branded, but likely never was; returned to the stage to mixed reception.
• Macklin's ghost is said to wander near where the fatal incident occurred, reportedly haunted by guilt.

Joseph Grimaldi (34:00–36:09)

• The Clown Haunting: Famed clown and comedian, considered the first “modern clown,” known for demanding and physically comedic performances.
• Myth: Grimaldi’s ghostly white-painted head haunts the theater—but the beheading story refers to his father, not Joseph.
• Said to help actors by motivating them or physically adjusting their positions for better performances.

Dan Leno (36:17–39:03)

• Pantomime Star: A comedic performer who appeared as “Mother Goose” and for King Edward VII.
• Suffered from alcohol misuse and mental health struggles before dying after a final performance in 1904.
• Ghost sightings included curtains moving and his face appearing to actors.
  • "He was awakened by curtains moving and saw a form flit across the room and disappear through a locked door. Later, he saw the face of Dan Leno.” – Quoting Stanley Lupino’s account, Tracy V. Wilson (37:53)
• His ghost is linked with the scent of lavender and is credited (sometimes instead of Grimaldi) with “assisting” performers on stage.

The Man in Gray (39:03–41:14)

• Most often spotted ghost; appears in 18th-century clothing, tricorn hat, and riding cloak, with a sword.
• Seen in the Upper Circle, thought to bring luck if seen before a show.
• Legend: A skeleton with a dagger in its chest was reportedly found behind a wall during 19th-century renovations—but there’s no reliable record.
  • “This friendly apparition has been seen coming out of the Upper Circle Bar and vanishing through what was once a passage to the stage…” – Quoting John Shand (39:41)
  • “I never managed to turn up any mention of the skeleton or an inquest... Not a peep.” – Holly Fry (40:40)

---

Theater as Ghostly Experience (41:14–41:55)

• Holly and Tracy discuss why theaters attract ghost stories.
  • “Theater is a ghostly experience... it’s concerned with the unearthing of texts... and an experience that comes back night after night, but which also disappears in front of your eyes.” – Aoife Monks, quoted by Tracy V. Wilson (41:14)
• Tracy and Holly reflect on the transient, shared nature of live theater experiences.

---

Listener Mail (41:55–44:57)

• Amanda writes in about her memories of the Bell Witch from elementary school in Kentucky and shares photos of her pets (a German shepherd and two cats).
• Holly and Tracy appreciate Amanda’s story and the tradition of ghost stories during Halloween.

---

Notable Quotes

• “There is barely a theater in Britain that doesn't claim a resident spook. History is littered with stories of phantoms glimpsed in the orchestra stalls or onstage presences felt but unseen.” – Andrew Dixon, quoted by Holly Fry (02:42)
• “If you don't get the man in Gray to stop by during your pre production and rehearsals, your show might be doomed to flop.” – Holly Fry (39:23)
• “It's the best. It's one of the things that makes Halloween great. It unites us.” – Holly Fry (44:30)

---

Important Segment Timestamps

• 02:17 – Introduction to Drury Lane and its theatrical ghosts
• 05:17 – Foundation and reopening under Charles II’s Restoration
• 09:55 – The Drury Lane Riots and Horace Walpole’s account
• 16:40 – David Garrick’s and later managers’ eras
• 20:38 – First gas-lit stage and Edmund Kean’s famous death
• 23:23 – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s acquisition and restoration
• 25:16 – Introduction to the ghosts segment
• 29:08 – Charles Keane’s ghost story
• 29:43 – Charles Macklin and the deadly wig dispute
• 34:00 – Joseph Grimaldi, the first modern clown
• 36:17 – Dan Leno: success, tragedy, and spectral lavender
• 39:03 – The Man in Gray: the luckiest ghost in the West End
• 41:14 – Why theaters are so “ghostly”
• 41:55 – Listener mail

---

Episode Tone

• Warm, witty, and conversational—full of charming asides, firsthand quotes, and pointed historical detail.
• Holly and Tracy balance reverence for theater history with skepticism and affection for ghost stories, all while encouraging curiosity and laughter.

---

For Further Reference

• If you loved the history and hauntings of Drury Lane, Holly and Tracy reference several sources (including rare books and Guardian articles) and promise show notes links for deeper dives—perfect for theater buffs and ghost story fans alike.

---

Transcript

[Tracy V. Wilson]

This is an I heart podcast.

[Holly Fry]

Listen to your elders, honey. You might know them from their viral videos, but now the old gays are pulling back the curtain with their new podcast, Silver Linings with the Old Gays, brought to you in partnership with iHeart's Ruby Studio and Veeve Healthcare. Hosts Robert, Mick, Bill, and Jesse serve their lifetime of wisdom when it comes to love, sex, community, and whatever else they've got on the gay agenda. So check out Silver Linings with the old gays on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

A new era of power has arrived with the Alienware Area 51 gaming laptops, intentionally engineered to push more power to the CPU and GPU for maximum performance. Combined with Intel Core Ultra 9 processors merging CPU, NPU, and integrated GPU into one AI optimized chip, it delivers fast, smart, and seamless performance across everything you do. So no matter what you are playing, Alienware ensures every game runs precisely as its developers intended. A new era of power is here. All you have to do is take it. Discover Area51 today at www.alienware.com Area51 laptops.

[Holly Fry]

Hey, audiobook lovers. I'm Kalpen.

[Ed Helms]

I'm Ed Helms.

[Holly Fry]

Ed and I are inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Ever heard with our new podcast, Irsay.

[Holly Fry]

The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.

[Ed Helms]

Each week we sit down with your favorite iHeart podcast hosts and some very special guests to discuss the latest and greatest audiobooks from Audible.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Listen to Hearsay on America's number one podcast network, iHeart.

[Holly Fry]

Follow earsay and start listening on the free iHeartradio app today.

[Ed Helms]

Limu Emu and Doug. Here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug. Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us. Cut the camera. They see us. Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty Liberty. Liberty Liberty Savings Fairy Underwritten by Liberty.

[Holly Fry]

Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Excludes Massachusetts.

[Holly Fry]

Welcome to Stuff youf Missed in History Class, a production of iHeartRadio. Hello and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly Fry.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

And I'm Tracy V. Wilson.

[Holly Fry]

This episode was originally going to be another edition of Ghosts of the British Isles.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

It sort of still is.

[Holly Fry]

But it ended up being all about specifically theatrical ghosts. As Andrew Dixon wrote in an article for The Guardian in 2015, quote, There is barely a theater in Britain that doesn't claim A resident spook history is littered with stories of phantoms glimpsed in the orchestra stalls or onstage presences felt but unseen. And so this particular episode is about theatrical ghosts, but theatrical ghosts associated with one place. And that place is specific, and it has its own interesting history. That is the Theater Royal Drury Lane. This theater is known by a lot of names. Theater Royal Drury Lane is one and perhaps its most accurate one. But it is more often called the Drury Lane Theater, sometimes just the Drury, etc. I picked this one because it's considered the most haunted. But the thing is, the ghost stories that it has are many in number, but there's not a lot of documentation about these sightings. So I thought first we would talk about this theater's history because it's really interesting. So this is one for the theater kids in the crowd. And then we are going to talk about some of the ghosts that are associated with it, including one whose ghost is a previous podcast subject. And I don't think we talked about him being a haunting entity on that one. I went back and checked and heard nothing about it.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

So I don't think we did.

[Holly Fry]

We're like, augmenting that story.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah, we did mention this theater a lot in it, which is why as I was reading through that line, I kept being like, why? Why is this familiar? Yeah, I kept looking back through stuff and then went, oh, yeah, okay, okay. So the Theater Royal Drury Lane in London is the oldest theater of the city that's still in regular use. There have actually been multiple buildings on the site over the years, but they all operated under the same charter. Because of this theater's age, it is home to a lot of ghost stories. The theater is part of the city of Westminster. That's a borough of London and part of the city's historic West End theater district. The name is actually a little confusing because the theater's address and main entrance are not on Drury Lane. They're on Catherine Street. Drury Lane is one street over at the back of the theater. The name may have come from another building that was near the theater in its first incarnation, or because of a renaming of the streets. One other theory is that the name came from a previous theater run by the Drury's first proprietor, which was on Drury Lane.

[Holly Fry]

The original Theater Royal Drury lane opened on May 7, 1663. It was built by Thomas Killigrew under a royal charter. That charter was part of a rebuilding of the arts in England that followed the Puritan interregnum. That period from 1649 to 1660. When England was a republic and not governed by a monarch. In the time preceding the interregnum, the theater had been largely sponsored by the Stuart court. And when we say the theater, we mean the theatre scene of London, not this theater. After Charles I was executed, an event that could make a very good future episode, the Protestants sold his art collection and banned theater for a variety of reasons you will see summed up in different ways. When the executed King's son, Charles II, regained the throne in 1660, he was eager to reestablish the cultural institutions the Puritans had closed down.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

A charming contemporary account of the granting of this charter and another reads, quote, king Charles II at his Restoration, granted two patents, one to Sir William Davenant and the other to Thomas Killigrew, Esq. And their several heirs and assigns forever for the forming of two distinct companies of comedians. The first were called the King's Servants and acted at the Theater Royal in Drury Lane, and the other the Duke's Company, who acted at the Duke's Theater in dorset garden. About 10 of the King's Company were on the royal household establishment, having each 10 yards of scarlet cloth with a proper quantity of lace allowed them for liveries, and in their warrants from the Lord Chamberlain were styled Gentlemen of the Great Chamber. Whether the like appointments were extended to the Duke's company, I am not certain.

[Holly Fry]

Can I just tell you how much I love the idea of having a job or title where they're like, here's your bolt of fabric, go have your clothes custom made. That sounds dreamy, but to go back to the theater. Killigrew was a dramatist. He wrote the plays the Parson's Wedding, the Prisoners and Clarissilla. And the theater company that Killigrew founded was known as the King's Men, in addition to the King's Servants, and the theater opened with the nickname the King's Playhouse. That theater, which Costa reported 2,400 pounds to build at the time, so that was pretty expensive, staged the humorous Lieutenant, a TR comedy by John Fletcher as its opening play. The theater actually closed for a couple years for 1665 and 1666, but once it reopened, it had a lot of success for several years, but then that success was halted on January 25, 1672 when the theater burned to the ground.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

The theater was rebuilt in 1674, though its footprint changed as it was expanded considerably. It is believed, although not conclusively documented, that Sir Christopher Wren may have been the architect responsible for its construction when the new 4,000 pound facility opened on March 26, 1674, Killigrew stayed on as master of the rebels. In 1682, the two companies that had been formed in the 1662 charters were merged into one. And Killigrew was still involved with this newly formed group until his death. That was on March 19, 1683. One of Killigrew's most significant contributions to the theater was the use of women actors instead of troops consisting exclusively of men. Samuel Pepys noted in a diary entry from before the opening of the Drury Theater, a play staged by Killigrew of which he says, quote, and here, the first time that ever I saw women come upon the stage, Killigrew continued this practice at Drury Lane.

[Holly Fry]

Yeah, that was not common practice. Yet from 1710 to 1733, the Drury Lane Theater was wildly successful and it was home to the earliest productions of a lot of famous plays. The credit for this success is often given to the way it was run, which was the work of three men, Robert Wilkes, Colley Cibber and Thomas Doggett. It was actually Cibber's autobiography that we read from in the account of how the two charters were granted earlier. These men had all been very closely tied to the theater for some time. Early publications of the manuscript for the humorous lieutenant lists Cibber as one of the performers. And in 1713, Barton Booth joined the three man management team when Thomas Doggett retired.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

But then in the 1730s, when sibbers retired, the theater was taken over by Charles Fleetwood. Unlike his predecessors, Fleetwood was not a good manager. Under his leadership, a series of events that came to be known as the Drury Lane Riots took place. A letter from Horace Walpole, who we've talked about on the show before, to Horace Mann, who I don't think we've talked about on the show before, mentions being at one of these riots. Quote, the town has been trying all this winter to beat pantomimes off the stage. Fleetwood, the master of Drury Lane, has omitted nothing to support them as they support his house. About 10 days ago he let into the pit great numbers of bear garden bruisers, that is the term, to knock down everybody that hissed the pit rallied their forces and drove them out. I was sitting very quietly in the side boxes contemplating all this. On a sudden the curtain flew up and discovered the whole stage filled with blackguards armed with bludgeons and clubs to menace the audience. This raised the greatest uproar and among the rest who flew into a passion but your friend, the philosopher, in short, one of the actors advancing to the front of the stage to make an apology for the manager. He had scarcely begun to say, Mr. Fleetwood, when your friend with the most audible voice and dignity of anger called out, he is an impudent rascal. The whole pit huzzahed. And repeated the words only think of my being a popular orator.

[Holly Fry]

I just think that's adorable.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

I really loved reading a lot of Horace Walpole's stuff. When I was working on that, I.

[Holly Fry]

Stood up and yelled. It's just so charming. The cause of the riots is often chalked up to rising ticket prices, but modern scholarship makes the case that it was really much more complex than that part of it. The inclusion of pantomimes instead of higher grade of theater, which not everybody liked. Fleetwood had been steadily losing public trust for years, and in the year before the riots, the actors had a conflict with Fleetwood when he refused to guarantee their wages for the season. The actors had staged a walkout over treatment 10 years earlier in 1733, but in 1744 when this was going on, their only recourse was to file a legal action. They were no longer legally allowed to form their own theater if they left this one. Although the actors did lose their legal filing against Fleetwood, the whole thing left Fleetwood's already weak reputation with the public just completely ruined. After the 1744 riots, he sold his stake in the theater and left the country, settling in France.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

We'll continue to discuss the many people who managed the Theater Royal Drury Lane, but we will first take a quick sponsor break.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Tired of spills and stains on your sofa? WashablesOfAs.com has your back. Featuring the Annabe Collection, the only designer sofa that's machine washable inside and out. Where designer quality meets budget friendly prices. That's right, sofas start at just $699. Enjoy a no risk experience with pet friendly stain resistant and changeable slipcovers made with performance fabric Experience cloud like comfort with high resilience foam that's hypoallergenic and never needs fluffing. The sturdy steel frame ensures longevity and the modular pieces can be rearranged anytime. Check out washablesofas.com and get up to 60% off your annabe sofa backed by a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not absolutely in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping or restocking fees. Every penny back Upgrade [e-mail] Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Holly Fry]

Listen to your elders, honey. You might know them from their viral videos, but now the old gays pull back the curtain on their brand new podcast, Silver Linings with the Old Gays, brought to you in partnership with iHeart's Ruby Studio and Veeve Healthcare. With over 300 years of experience between them, hosts Robert, Mick, Bill, and Jesse serve four leg lifetimes of wisdom when it comes to love, sex, community, and whatever else they've got on the gay agenda. Listen in to these fabulous friends, swap stories exploring how queer life has evolved over the decades and the silver linings they've collected along the way. Each episode dives into hot topics, from safe sex and online dating to untangling Gen Z lingo, as well as insights on how music, art, and fashion show up in queer culture. So check out Silver Linings, a show about how pride ages like fine wine. Available on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ed Helms]

And Doug, here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug. Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us. Cut the camera. They see us. Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty Liberty, Liberty. Liberty Savings Ferry Unwritten by Liberty Mutual.

[Holly Fry]

Insurance Company and affiliates.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Excludes Massachusetts.

[Ed Helms]

Hey, it's Ed Helms. And welcome back to snafu, my podcast about history's greatest screw ups. On our new season, we're bringing you a new snafu every single episode.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

32 lost nuclear weapons. You're like, wait, stop. What?

[Holly Fry]

Yeah, Ernie Shackleton sounds like a solid.

[Ed Helms]

70S basketball player who still wore knee pads.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yes.

[Ed Helms]

It's going to be a whole lot of history, a whole lot of funny, and a whole lot of guests. The great Paul Scheer made me feel good. I'm like, oh, wow, Angela and Jenna, I am so psyched you're here.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

What was that like for you to.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Soft launch into the show?

[Ed Helms]

Sorry, Jenna, I'll be asking the questions today.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

I forgot whose podcast we were doing.

[Ed Helms]

Nick Kroll. I hope this story is good enough to get you to toss that sandwich. So let's, let's, let's see how it goes. Listen to season four of SNAFU with Ed Helms on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Holly Fry]

In 1747, the theater changed hands yet again to run under the management of David Garrick. This was another period of incredible success and critical praise. Garrick's Drury Lane run lasted three decades, and he appeared in many of the venue's productions during that Time before he retired in 1776, he gave a farewell performance in a play called the Wonder. And this last show for the beloved actor and manager was so anticipated that it seemed that all of London showed up. There was not enough space in the theater to accommodate the crowd. Accounts note that the staging was changed that night so that Garrick was alone on stage during his final lines as he bid farewell to his life on the stage.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

In 1776, Richard Brinsley Sheridan took the helm of the Jury Theater, and he continued its run of excellence. It was during his tenure there that he wrote and premiered the School for Scandal. But though the quality of the plays was good, the quality of the building was not. Over the years, a lot of problems had cropped up in the theater, and its age eventually surpassed management's ability to keep up. In 1791, the theater closed temporarily and the building this was, as you recall, the second one was demolished. For the next several years, the company continued to stage plays, but they were performed a little less than a mile away at Theater Royal Haymarket, while the new building was erected at the Drury Lane location.

[Holly Fry]

The third building for the Drury was designed by architect Henry Holland, and his project started right after the second was torn down. When it opened in April 1794, it had this beautiful blue and white interior color scheme described as just being very richly decorated. And this new theater was once again bigger and could hold 3,611 audience members.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

This theater was built with the latest in safety materials and was touted as being fireproof. It even had a water tank series mounted above the curtain to rapidly douse any flames on stage. But all those fireproof claims were inaccurate, which is a sad theme in supposedly fireproof theaters. It burned down in 1809 and the troupe once again had to relocate to the Haymarket, then the Lyceum Theater, while the Drury was rebuilt for the fourth time.

[Holly Fry]

One of the most delightful aspects, in my opinion, of the fourth construction project was that the architect Benjamin Dean Wyatt published a book about its design titled Observations on the Design for the Theatre Royal Drury Lane as executed in 1812, accompanied by plans, elevation and sections of the same. And the reason it's delightful is that this book is available online. It is something anybody can look at, and we'll link it in the show notes. It walks through the whole process from the formation of a joint stock company and subscription sales to fund the project. And Wyatt is very clear about the challenge of this building project, noting, quote, the pecuniary embarrassments of the property were at that time so great that considerable doubts were entertained whether it would ever be practicable to surmount those embarrassments. But they did get the money together, and this fourth theater is often referred to as the Modern theater. It's the one that is still standing today.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

It took several years for the fourth theater to be erected, but in 1812, the jury opened again. This marked the start of a really exciting time in the theater, as the new facility was built to handle large sets and could achieve more stunning visual effects. Five years after the Modern theater opened, the stage was lit by gas lamps, making it the first theater in Britain to do this. New era headlines Edmund Kean as its lead actor, and it did quite well for a while.

[Holly Fry]

Keene's death is very closely tied to the theater, as he was in the middle of a performance of Othello in 1833 when he collapsed on stage. And at that point, his son Charles, who was playing Iago, caught his father as he crumpled. Edmund reportedly said, there on stage, oh, God, I am dying. Speak to them, Charles. He never recovered, and he died a few weeks later.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

After this, the theater again went through a rough phase. For the four decades after Kean's frightening collapse on stage, the theater really didn't have a real success. In 1819, it had been leased by Stephen Price, a theater impresario from New York. And after he gave it up in 1830, the lease kind of had a revolving door of managers.

[Holly Fry]

Yeah, I was like, I'm not gonna go through this whole list of the episode, because it's literally, like, from April of this year to November of this year. This guy tried it, got scared and left. And then the next guy just tried to make a quick buck, and then he was out. And then the next guy wanted to do something big but didn't have, like, it was. It's a very sad, quick list of no accomplishments. In 1879, Augustus Harris assumed management of the Drury, and he really invigorated the lagging space. Under Harris, melodrama reigned supreme, and it became one of the most popular entertainments of London. After Harris, the Drury once again had a successful leader at the helm in Arthur Collins. And Collins did not reinvent the theater's image. He continued more or less in the vein of Harris. He basically was like, we have a successful blueprint. I just need to keep executing it.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Musicals debuted at the jury in the 1920s. Prior to this, it was considered the home of dramatic theatrical performance. But it opened its stage to musical theater to meet the demands of London's theatergoers.

[Holly Fry]

Yeah, it's funny because now a lot of plays that end up on Broadway start in London and like musicals are super big. But at the time it was like, should we do this? Our reputation. During World War II, the theater became the home of the Entertainment National Service Association. You'll see that listed as ensa. This organization was started to provide entertainment to Britain's troops during the war. And its first large scale production was a variety concert that was broadcast by the BBC at the same time it was being performed before an audience at the Drury. The theater did sustain minor damage from bombing during the war, but was able to repair and reopen in 1946. Pacific 1860, a play written by Noel Coward was its first production. After World War II, the theater was given status as a grade one site of historical significance. In 1958, at the close of the.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

20Th century, the theater was purchased by Andrew Lloyd Weber, who wrote Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita, among others. This was part of a $145 million bid that included nine other theaters in London. In a press interview, Weber stated that this bold move was about keeping room for fresh, unique material on the stage, noting, quote, it is vital that the theater be in the hands of people who know and love the theater. Otherwise our lifeblood is taken away from us and there's no room anymore for the old fashioned producer who will back shows that take risks. I would like to think that we will be more sympathetic to shows that deserve a break to survive. There are lots of shows that don't look good on paper and appear not to be good business, where we'll say, let's get behind this and hope it pays off.

[Holly Fry]

I love that. Incidentally, while I was researching this, I discovered that if you have a double last name, you have to hyphenate it in English Standard writing. That's how I found it out. So I don't know when we call him Webber, if we should call him Lloyd Webber or not, but Andrew Lloyd Webber has really followed through on his promise. He spent a reported 60 million pounds to refurbish the theater, restoring it back to its 1812 design, while also modernizing it to include new cafes and bars to make it like a destination for your entire day. You could hang out there. It added disability access, it added more comfortable seating, as well as a lot of various technical additions that enable really state of the art production values. And this Renovation won the 2022 Theater Building of the Year award, which I did not know about until I was working on this, but it is given out by the Stage Awards each year.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Okay, time for ghosts. But before we dig into the spectral inhabitants of Druryland, we will hear from sponsors that keep the show going.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Time for a sofa upgrade? Visit washablesofas.com and discover Annabe where designer style meets budget friendly prices. With sofas starting at $699, Annabe brings you the ultimate in furniture innovation with a modular design that allows you to rearrange your space effortlessly. Perfect for both small and large spaces, Annabe is the only machine washable sofa inside and out. Say goodbye to stains and messes with liquid and stain resistant fabrics that make cleaning easy. Liquid simply slides right off. Designed for custom comfort, our high resilience foam lets you choose between a sink in feel or a supportive memory foam blend. Plus our pet friendly stain resistant fabrics ensure your sofa stays beautiful for years. Don't compromise quality. For price, visit washablesofas.com to upgrade your living space today with no risk returns and a 30 day money back guarantee. Get up to 60% off plus free shipping and free returns. Shop now at washablesofas.com Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Holly Fry]

Listen to your elders, honey. You might know them from their viral videos, but now the old Gays pull back the curtain on their brand new podcast Silver Linings with the Old Gays, brought to you in partnership with iHeart's Ruby Studio and Veeve Healthcare. With over 300 years of experience between them, hosts Robert, Mick, Bill and Jesse serve four lifetimes of wisdom when it comes to love, sex, community and whatever else they've got on the gay agenda. Listen in to these fabulous friends swap stories exploring how queer life has evolved over the decades and the silver linings they've collected along the way. Each episode dives into hot topics from safe sex and online dating to untangling Gen Z lingo, as well as insights on how music, art and fashion show up in queer culture. So check out Silver Linings, a show about how pride ages like fine wine. Available on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Every now and then I rinse it out and I deep down it rinse.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Tonight and I needed more My kid.

[Ed Helms]

Wear so bad and the smell never.

[Holly Fry]

Leave I don't know what to do.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

I'm always in the dark the sweat.

[Holly Fry]

And that sh smells like a dark.

[Ed Helms]

I'm down here Prison Downy Rinse fights stubborn odors in just one wash when impossible odors get stuck in hey, it's Ed Helms and welcome Back to Snafu, my podcast about history's greatest screw ups. On our new season, we're bringing you a new Snafu Every single episode.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

32 lost nuclear weapons. You're like, wait, stop. What? Yeah.

[Holly Fry]

Ernie Shackleton sounds like a solid 70s.

[Ed Helms]

Basketball player who still wore knee pads.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yes.

[Ed Helms]

It's gonna be a whole lot of history, a whole lot of funny, and a whole lot of guests. The great Paul Scheer made me feel good. I'm like, oh, wow, Angela and Jenna, I am so psyched you're here.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

What was that like for you to.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Soft launch into the show?

[Ed Helms]

Sorry, Jenna. I'll be asking the questions today.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

I forgot whose podcast we were doing.

[Ed Helms]

Nick Kroll. I hope this story is good enough to get you to toss that sandwich. So let's, let's, let's see how it goes. Listen to season four of SNAFU with Ed Helms on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Holly Fry]

Because of its long history, the theater in Drury Lane has long been rumored to be haunted. And some of these ghosts have great stories of their own. So first up is kind of a short one. It's Charles Keane, the son of actor Edmund Keane, who we mentioned earlier. As you'll recall, Edmund collapsed into Charles's arms on stage. Charles, like his father, became an actor, and he also became a theater manager. And his ghost is said to frequently take a seat in the front row and wait for plays to begin. And when the curtain rises and the stage lights come up, the Charles vanishes.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

And then there's Charles Macklin. Macklin's ghost has a good bit of documented backstory on why it might be lurking in the theater, and that is related to guilt. This story is often summed up as Charles Macklin murdered another actor by stabbing him in the eye with his cane. And that is technically correct, but the actual events, as they played out, are more tragic. This is a case where some petty bickering escalated in a way, but a line was crossed accidentally. And it all began with a wig.

[Holly Fry]

In 1735, when Macklin, who was a popular Irish actor who was at the height of his fame at their Drury, had prepared to go on stage by dressing and applying his makeup, but he could not find the wig that went with his outfit. He then saw that actor Thomas Hallam was wearing it. Hallam was a low ranking actor in the troupe, kind of one of those people that filled a lot of small extras type roles. And seeing him in his wig incensed Macklin. Hallam was persuaded to give up the wig, and he went to the props room to get another and switch out. And that might have resolved things. But when Hallam then came back with his new wig, he threw the original wig at Macklin, said something kind of, you know, incendiary. And after a brief moment where it still seemed like things might be okay, Macklin reportedly said to Hallam, quote, God damn you for a blackguard scrub. Rascal. How durst you have the impudence to take this wig?

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Hallam replied by saying that Macklin was also a rascal. And Macklin picked up his cane and thrust it in Hallam's face. It seems like this was intended, like, as an admonishment and a threat. He was not trying to strike him in the eye. But then Hallam was bleeding profusely from his eye. Macklin later described his own shock at the scene. Quote, good God, said I, what have I done? And I threw the stick into the chimney. He sat down and said to Mr. Ames son, who was dressed in woman's clothes, whip up your clothes, you little bee, and urine in my eye. But he could not. So I did.

[Holly Fry]

As we know, sometimes people have used urine to treat wounds, thinking it was sterile.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah, don't do it.

[Holly Fry]

Don't pee on wounds, and especially not eye wounds. But Macklin really thought he was being a good guy by doing so. But at this point, this seemed like a gross but minor injury. Hallam was taken into a room to lie down where he could be treated. One of the women in the troupe was looking after him. And meanwhile, the play started and Macklin went on and did his role. But then when the show was over, Macklin was informed that the wound was actually quite serious and that it was very likely going to prove fatal. And at that point, he fled the theater. Hallam died the following day, and Macklin surrendered himself to the police. After a willful murder indictment was issued.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Macklin was tried at the Old Bailey and represented himself. In the end, after many character witnesses passed through to support Macklin's story that the death had been accidental and that he had been shocked and upset when he realized what had happened, the actor was found guilty not of murder, but of manslaughter. His sentence was that he was, quote, to be branded on the hand and discharged. It seems like he may not have ever even been branded, though. And when he went back to the stage, he was applauded by the audience in attendance, although there were protesters who wanted him fired permanently.

[Holly Fry]

Yeah, he actually sued the organizer of those protests and won it kind of dragged out for a long time where he tried to kind of regain his reputation. And it dragged out because Macklin lived a long time after this incident. He died in 1797 at the age of 97. He appeared to have always carried guilt with him, though, regarding what had happened. And he is now said to be seen walking near the spot where he accidentally stabbed Hallam.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

We actually did a whole episode on the life of the next ghost. That episode came out in 2023, although we did not talk about his afterlife. This is Joseph Grimaldi. Here's the very short version of his life. Joseph Grimaldi, who went by Joe, was born Dec. 18, 1778, into a theater family. His father, Giuseppe, was known to be harsh and abusive. And when the elder Grimaldi died, Joe became famous. He really eclipsed his father's reputation.

[Holly Fry]

Grimaldi's fame came from just how far he was willing to push himself physically in the interest of comedic entertainment. He would perform tumbling tricks, prat falls, and all kinds of slapstick. And he painted himself stark white, which is why he is sometimes called the first modern clown. Eventually, his physically demanding act wore down his health. He retired in 1828.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

There are some aspects of Grimaldi's haunting story, the evidence of a bit of confusion or even some willful obfuscation of reality to just bolster the stories of a ghost. One that comes up a lot is that he requested to be beheaded before being buried because he wanted to make sure he was not buried alive. So this detail is usually used to explain stories that people have of Grimaldi's clown painted head hovering in some of the theater's audience boxes. But it was actually his father who made that request in his will. That is an order that's said to have been carried out by Joseph's sister, Margaret.

[Holly Fry]

The stories of Grimaldi's theatrical hauntings are usually pretty tame, although, depending on your point of view, they could be considered assaultive. He is known to kick people in the rear. Often this is to get a hesitant actor to go out on stage or just his prankish behavior behind the scenes. But there have also been actors who stated that they could feel him moving them on the stage, sort of placing their limbs in a certain way, or shifting the direction their body was facing, and that the result was always a better reaction from the audience than they were getting before Grimaldi's ghostly guidance.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Grimaldi is also alleged to haunt Joseph Grimaldi Park. That was once a cemetery, and it is where the clown is buried.

[Holly Fry]

Dan Leno, who was born George wild, Galvin in 1860 is another well known Ghost of the Drury. His too is a story that's largely charming, but then has a rather tragic end. He was born into performing. His entire family was made up of traveling actors and comedians, and he started on the stage and as a toddler at age 3.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Leno quickly rose to fame as a young adult and became famous as a pantomime performer. He often appeared in drag and was famous for a stage version of Mother Goose with a title role written expressly for him. Leno was dedicated to charitable works and took particular interest in causes that helped other performers. Sometimes he is touted as the highest paid performer of his day. He performed for King Edward VII and was nicknamed the King's Jester after the monarch gifted him an elegant tie pin. In the early 1900s, but also in.

[Holly Fry]

The early 1900s, Leno started misusing alcohol. This is apparently a problem that ran in his family. In 1903, he had a mental breakdown and he was institutionalized for several months at London's Camberwell House Asylum. After his convalescence there, he did return to the stage, but only briefly. He gave a performance on October 31, 1904, and he died that same night. His cause of death is reported differently from source to source, citing everything from heart trouble to overwork. Most modern historians think he had some medical problem that was the result of alcohol misuse.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Comedian Stanley Lupino described his encounter with Dan Leno's ghost to the Press in 1923. The following account from Lupino ran in the Register, a newspaper in Adelaide, Australia. Quote, he stated that while asleep in his dressing room, he was awakened by curtains moving and saw a form flit across the room and disappear through a locked door. Later, he saw the face of Dan Leno. He rushed out of the theater and spent the rest of the night at a hotel. The next evening, he said, a lady, well known in the theatrical world who had come to visit me and my wife was alone in my dressing room, was performing on the stage. She fainted and afterwards, although she had heard nothing of my experience, declared she had seen the ghost of Dan Leno.

[Holly Fry]

Leno's ghost is said to be heard clogging throughout the theater and if you catch a whiff of lavender that is also attributed to him as he reportedly wore the scent when he was alive. Sometimes it is Dan that gets the credit for assisting performers with their staging and body position instead of Grimaldi. He has even been reported to pat actors on the back after a good show.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Jury Theater's most famous ghost, though, is the man in Gray. He's the one who's been spotted the most, but he's also the one we know the least about. According to legend, this man appears in the Upper Circle and He's dressed in 18th century clothing. He wears a tricorn hat and a riding cloak and carries a sword.

[Holly Fry]

And the man in Gray is a very welcome spirit. It has become one of those theater superstitions that his appearance blesses a play's run. If you don't get the man in Gray to stop by during your pre production and rehearsals, your show might be doomed to flop. But who is he?

[Tracy V. Wilson]

This is one that has a very compelling but awfully difficult to corroborate detail that sometimes offered as the explanation of his identity. Many accounts of the jury say that during renovations in the 19th century, a skeleton was discovered. A 1939 article about the theater written by John Shand of the Guardian states of the man in Gray quote, this friendly apparition has been seen coming out of the Upper Circle Bar and vanishing through what was once a passage to the stage by persons who know nothing of the odd discovery made by workmen about 80 years ago. While making alterations, a wall where is now the Upper Circle Bar was pulled down. Behind it was a small room. It contained a table and a chair, and in the chair sat a skeleton with a dagger in its breast. You may laugh at the ghost, but the skeleton is a fact. An inquest was held on it, but.

[Holly Fry]

I never managed to turn up any mention of the skeleton or an inquest. In any newspapers you would think that would have been written about. Additionally, there's a wild and I mean wild range of dates given by various sources for the renovation that uncovered this skeleton. You'll see them that run from 1840 all the way into the late 1870s. I searched throughout all of those time periods with a variety of different search chains, and I did not turn up a single newspaper mention.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

To that end, Holly also wanted to include another quote from that 2015 Guardian article that we mentioned. At the top of the show. The writer Andrew Dixon conferred with a woman named Aoife Monks, who's a theater professor at Queen Mary University of London, about the theater and why the theater community seems so prone to see ghosts. Her answer was delightful. Quote, theater is a ghostly experience. If you think about it. It's concerned with the unearthing of texts that in the case of the Greek tragedies, might be 2000 years old and an experience that comes back night after night, but which also disappears in front of your eyes as it does so. Sounds pretty ghostly to me.

[Holly Fry]

I love that take. Yeah, that's what makes live theater so great, right? You're the only people experiencing that moment in history together, which I love. Yeah, those are the Drury Lane ghosts. A little lighter on the ghosts than I would have liked, but we just don't have that much info. Yeah, I really wish I could have unearthed some magical mention of the body or skeleton allegedly found in the wall. Not a peep. If there's one out there, I'd love to see it. But I do have listener mail from our listener Amanda, who writes hello there Holly and Tracy. This is my first time writing, but I just listened to your weekend classic on the Bell Witch and I couldn't have been more excited. Growing up in Kentucky, everyone would hear tales of the Bell Witch around Halloween, but my first recollection of hearing the story was from our lunchroom monitor at our Catholic elementary school. During October, she would read any and all ghost stories to us during lunch, but the Bell Witch always indicated the start of ghost story lunches for the school. If you walked past our cafeteria, you would have seen 200 kids as quiet as mice waiting for the next scare scene. Fast forward 30 years to your Saturday classic and I was back in that black and white tiled cafeteria. But I really appreciate how toward the end both of you discussed all the permutations of the legend. I was listening, waiting for things to be said that weren't, because obviously each ghost story has their own embellishments. I want to say our Catholic elementary school's version had a burned down house and I would love to hear all of the local variations. Thank you both for such a wonderful show. You bring so much joy and reverence to all the topics you share, which makes listening each week a true pleasure. Attached is my pet tax, our German shepherd, Guardian Angel Bear, who would listen with me on our walks, as well as our senior, chonky orange boy, Chewie, 14 years old and crazy baby baby girl Kenny, who's an October baby like me. All our babies are rescues, although Kenny came to us via the cat distribution system and we couldn't be happier. Keep up the incredible work and know the three of us are always excited for the next episode. Bear is so beautiful and these cats listen. I'm telling you, I love a goofy orange cat. I just love them. And Kenny is also incredibly cute, so thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this with us. I I love the Bell Witch story and I love that that was part of their elementary school tradition. That, to me, sounds great. I wonder if they included the looking for her tooth part.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

I like how it spawned an assortment of local folklore, as local ghost stories often do.

[Holly Fry]

Yeah, it's the best. It's one of the things that makes Halloween great. It unites us. We all want to hear the stories, and it's a good way to share stories of our history, even if they sometimes get a bit embellished. If you would like to write to us, you can do [e-mail] you can also subscribe on the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you listen to your favorite shows.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Stuff youf Missed in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. Listen to your favorite shows.

[Ed Helms]

And Doug Here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug. Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us. Cut the camera they see. Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings Ferry Unwritten by.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates excludes Massachusetts.

[Ed Helms]

Johnny Knoxville here. Check out Crimeless Hillbilly Heist, my new true crime podcast from Smartless Media, Campside Media and big money players. It's the true story of the almost perfect crime and the nimrods who almost pulled it off.

[Holly Fry]

It was kind of like the perfect storm in a sewer.

[Ed Helms]

That was dumb.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Do not follow my example.

[Ed Helms]

Listen to Crimeless Hillbilly Heist on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Sacred Scandal is back, the hit true crime podcast that uncovers hidden truths and shattered faith. For 19 years, Alayna Sada was a nun for the Legion of Christ. This season, she's telling her story.

[Holly Fry]

When I first joined the Legion of Christ, I felt chosen. I was 19 years old when Marcia.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Almasel, the leader of the Legionaries, looked me in the eye and told me I had a calling.

[Ed Helms]

Surviving meant hiding. Escaping took courage. Risking everything to tell her truth. Listen to Sacred the Many Secrets of Martial Maciel on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Malcolm Gladwell here. This season on Revisionist History, we're going.

[Ed Helms]

Back to the spring of 1988 to.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

A town in northwest Alabama where a.

[Ed Helms]

Man committed a crime that would spiral out of control. And he said, I've been in prison 24, 25 years.

[Holly Fry]

That's probably not long enough.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

But I didn't kill him.

[Ed Helms]

From revisionist history, this is the Alabama Murders. Listen to revisionist History the Alabama murders on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or.

[Holly Fry]

Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

This is an iHeart podcast.