THEATRE ROYAL, MARGATE
Though not having such an illustrious history as it's namesake in Chatham (reputedly the most haunted Theatre in the country) The Theatre Royal in Margate does have it's fair share of eerie tales.
Such is the reputation of spooky goings on there that is has attracted the likes of scientist Dr ARG Owen of Cambridge along with members of the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena, as well as one of the countries most respected mediums Ena Twigg. 'Dr Who' star Tom Baker visited for the TV series 'Ghost Detectives' in 2001 and many of the artistes who graced the stage there.
The main apparition in Britain's second-oldest Theatre is believed to be that of Sarah Thorne. Sarah's father, Richard, took over the lease of the Theatre in 1855. Sarah, as well as some of her 10 brothers and sisters, acted in the resident company and built up a good reputation. When Richard retired in 1866, Sarah took over as manager, steering the Theatre through it's most successful period, whilst also starring in many of the productions
She handed over the reigns in 1873, only to take charge again 6 years later, once again taking a declining Theatre and making it a success, right up to her death in 1899, aged 62. Over the next few years the success the Theatre had experienced declined and it was turned into a furniture store. It became a Theatre again in 1930 and has been a Bingo Hall and Cinema in amongst many years of closure. In 1992 it was reopened under the management of the 'Margate Theatre Royal Trust' and is still open to this day.
The first recorded incident at the Theatre Royal was in 1918, when Sarah Thorne's ghost was seen for the first time. National journalist Fred Archer said at the time that the theatre "where there is a trapdoor leading to what was a smuggler's cave" probably boasts the most diverse psychic happenings in. the theatrical world: "an orange-coloured ball of light"; "a scream which starts backstage and seems to travel across the stage and finally exits through the stage door" ; and "the appearance of a ghost in one of the boxes who draws back the curtains if they are closed.".
Although most of the sightings were believed to be that of Sarah Thorne, watching the plays in the theatre she loved, one of the stories has conflicting backgrounds.
The mention of the ghost in one of the boxes was first reported by Macqueen Pope, the famed actor, theatre manager and historian. Pope was no stranger to ghosts, having seen the famous 'Man in Grey' at Drury Lane. The box in question was the middle one of three to the left of the stage and was the favourite viewing point for Sarah Thorne. Pope, however, believed it to be the ghost of an actor who committed suicide.
The story as told by Joseph Braddock (from the link at the bottom of this page) is that 'an actor from a company playing at the theatre was dismissed for some reason, and on the next evening he bought himself a box for the performance. During the course of the play he committed suicide by throwing himself out of the box into the orchestra pit. Some time during the first decade of our century the wraith of a man was seen sitting in the box so often that the management was obliged to withdraw the box from sale, leaving it permanently curtained, until finally it was bricked up'.
Other reports suggest that the man was actually someone who had failed an audition. The ghost had, apparently, during the years that the curtains were left closed, opened them regularly during performances,
There were a spate of disturbances in 1955 which started in the January when assistant stage manager Howard Lee reported the heavy front doors of the theatre becoming unbolted, sometimes twice within a few hours, the lights in the foyer continuing to blaze after being put out, whispering and the ball of light on the stage and a completely overwhelming feeling of unease.
In 1964 two chorus girls were rehearsing on stage late at night when they were convinced they saw a ghost - one fainted and the other had to be helped from the stage.
1966 threw up another spate of disturbances once again staring in the January. Alfred Tanner was re-decorating the Theatre, which was at that time a Bingo Hall. So as not to disrupt the Bingo, Tanner would work overnight.
'Phantoms of the Theatre' by Raymond Lamont Brown comments 'His first night's work passed without incident, but during his second work stint he heard a series of sounds coming from the stage - as if someone were whispering. He stopped work for a few minutes to investigate, but could find no reason for the noises. Working on, he heard the natural creaking's of the floorboards. Then, however, he heard the sounds of footsteps just in front of the stage and moving toward him.
As he turned around to see who was there, the footsteps stopped. No one was to be seen. Suddenly, testifies Tanner, he heard the door of the box office bang violently. Again no one was to be seen. The decorator was entirely alone in the old theatre Tanner resumed painting in the hope that the unusual noises he had heard were "natural." Just as he was getting himself calm again, the phantom footsteps started once more. They came up behind him and halted when he turned. But this time there was something more eerie. Tanner heard an extremely heavy thump on the floor between the front row of seats and the stage-as though a heavy object had fallen there. Charles Tanner looked across at the spot: "I swear I saw the dust rising, just as it would if a real object had hit the carpet." Of course no object was visible, but could this have been the materialised impact of the ghostly suicide's cadaver hitting the floor?
On the following night, Tanner was at work again when he was interrupted once more. This time he saw "a semi-transparent globular object measuring about ten inches across" moving across the stage from left to right. The globe latterly formed the shape of a head before it disappeared. This time Tanner saw curtains by the exit door being moved by an unseen hand.
The next working night Charles Tanner, who now had an assistant, Lawrence Rodgers, was haunted again. Both heard a curious bang from the dress circle. This time the police were called, but no intruders were found.'
In January 1972 another workman, doing some painting in the theatre, heard strange sounds and saw the ball of light. In his panic to get out he knocked over a tin of paint.
After the infamous box was opened up again, another story involving it emanated in 1990 (I suppose the box could have been bricked up after this date), when it had been out of bounds for a number of years. Derek Waring, starring in Susan Hill's ghost drama 'A Woman in Black', saw a figure of a woman standing in the box before the door slammed shut. I believe that the box is accessible, but tickets for it are not sold at the present time.
There are many other reported incidents at the Theatre Royal (lights going on and off, a female voice, watches and clocks stopping and an orb being filmed above the stage by Psychic group 'Sightings' in 1996) but perhaps the most spectacular came in March 1997.
International Clairvoyant Peter Walker was due to appear at the Theatre and a few weeks before paid it a visit. He was accompanied by Theatre Development Director Michael Wheatley Ward. Mr Walker explained that there were several spirits in the Theatre. One of these was the ghost of the first owner, Thomas Robson, who was urging Mr Wheatley Ward to continue his campaigning work for the Theatre, while in the Upper Circle Bar there seemed to be a strong link with the name 'Cobb'. Walker claimed to have no knowledge of the history of the Theatre but it transpired that Thomas Robson, a retired singer from Covent Garden and Charles Mate were named as first proprietors of the Theatre in 1787. Funding for the venture came from local brewer Francis Cobb.
Mr Walker also literally bumped into Charles Dickens in the haunted box. As soon as he entered the box, Dickens pushed past him. 'Dickens was in his late 40's and certainly was not very happy,' he said. 'He was also very portly. He was sitting with another man and was fairly arrogant in his demeanor. He had his eyes fixed on the performance and I detected a great sadness about him'.
In 1842, Dickens was staying in Margate and informed a friend, Samuel Rogers that he was going to walk the 8 miles to the Theatre Royal and join his friend Thomas Noon Talford in watching Talford's new play, a tragedy named 'The Athenian Captive'. Perhaps this is the event that Walker was seeing.
'Phantoms...' says of the Theatre Royal 'Above all the "atmosphere" of this theatre seems to be the most charged in Britain for psychic happenings'.
Both the Ghost Club and local paranormal research group 'Sightings'. Sightings not only caught video footage of the glowing ball on the stage but some members felt a presence in the infamous box one felt a push in his back from an unseen hand. They also captured the sounds of footsteps on wooden floors but attempts to recreate the sound failed.
The last people allowed to film inside the theatre were the 'Ghost Detective' team in 2001. They caught orbs on video during their four day stay and afterwards Wheatley-Ward said 'Now we've had it proved that we have got spirits in the theatre we won't allow anybody else to come in and disturb them'.
ADDITION
Speaking to the owner of the pub I work in, a straight laced and respected long-term Thanet resident and businessman, he gave me his own tale of the Theatre Royal. A friend of his was working at the Theatre some years back and told people how after turning all the lights off and locking up and night, the building would then become unlocked and the lights would be back on. A few people went with him one night and as they left, all lights were turned off and the front doors were locked and secured with a heavy chain.
The walked down the road and within a couple of minutes looked back and all the lights were on. They walked back to the front doors to find the chain removed. Upon going inside they found that not only had the lights been turned on but the stage scenery had also been changed. There would not have been enough time for anyone physical to do any of this!
FURTHER ADDITION (5th NOv 2007) recieved from Ian Priddis.
Hi Stephen ,
You Missed a few things out Theatre Royal was open in 1988 by Theatre Royal Ltd as I worked there in1988-1991 And I can tell you a few true Stories.
1) During the get-out of Peter Pan and the Get in of Cluedo. we packed Peter Pan into the lorry and sent it on its way, we then started to get Cluedo in from the compound,over the Saturday night , Sunday We built the
set, Late on Sunday evening, I had a disagreement with the production manager I was Chief Electrician, in charge of Lighting and sound, well he wanted to bring the Iron curtain in to hide my lights, but as I pointed out , this would stop people in the gods seeing the top of the rostrum that was 7 foot high so he said go prove it so I stormed off up the
stairwell behind the boxes got to the top of the stairs and during this time the tempature was normal open the door to the corridor by which is part of Sarah's old House wallked through it was like walking into a blast freezer and there she was , Sarah the wall hid her face but I saw the head, body and the Bussell at the back and the flowing dress, I pinched myself to make sure I was awake she then went forward so disappeared from my sight, I wanted another look I ran up the corridor but she was gone. Went to the top of the gallery and checked (I was right) came down and the
first thing that Colin the production manager said to me was you alright Ian you look like you seen a ghost I said I HAVE !!
The two other ghost I have felt was a feeling on the Back of your neckwhen I was on the circle edge focusing lights and the other was I was told afterwards, I use to have to go and turn the dimmers off at night, But I found that it would go very cold down there. it turns out that an actress
doing a quick change tripped and died and she haunts understage, I can tell you its the quickest you will see me move down there, and finally Auntie Pat, Auntie Pat use to be the Theatre Guide, After she died she wished her ashes to be put in the Theatre, right by the ladder I use to have to climb to get to the fly floor for patching.
After the Theatre closed in 1991 , I was asked to help when Gordon Clarkson opened it up for HMS Pinafore, As we had just finished the dimmers were on but the lighting board was off, Joy Gordons Wife happened to say after the lights flashed , is that you auntie Pat , The Lights flashed so she is still around
Addition 3 Sent 5th Nov 2007 Wendy Starr
Hi Woody
Have just been checking out your updates... I have another sighting in the Theatre Royal for you.
Remember Spoooky Thanets first invest there? 2003? 2004? Well, Steve was busy, so I went along to organise it with a girl called Caroline. You may remember her.We knew nothing about the history or hauntings.
When we arrived, we spoke to a lady at the reception/box office, and told her who we were. She chatted for a few minutes then picked up the phone to speak to the guy in charge then (Michael?). He was already on the other end, and inexplicably, her phone had not rung. She was spooked.
She then showed us around. In the back stalls, Caroline stopped dead in her tracks. She turned to me and said 'Did you see that?' She described a grey haired lady. When we went onto the stage and were shown 'Auntie Pats' photo, she went white, and said that was the lady she had seen in the stalls.
That is the truth, and neither of us knew anything about Auntie Pat at the time.
Wendy