20 Most Haunted Theatres In The UK

With so much emotion, sweat and tears going into shows, plus the huge number of customer crying, laughing and enjoying shows over so many years, it's no surprise that theatres are so frequently said to be haunted.

There are hundreds of playhouses throughout the country, each with their own ghost stories, including tales of murder, suicide, betrayal and plenty of apparitions.

Below are the 20 theatres which are best known for their reputation as one of the most haunted buildings in the UK.

Like most old theatres, the Edinburgh Playhouse has its own resident ghost. The reports of paranormal activity date back to at least the 1950s when the police were called to investigated a reported break in. One of the officers claimed to have spoken to a man dressed in grey who identified himself as Albert, but there were no staff by that name.

The ghost of Albert has been spotted in the building ever since, especially on the sixth floor. He is though to be a stage hand who died in an accident at the theatre. Theatre-goers have also reported strange goings on, including the sensation of being touched by unseen hands and hearing unexplained noises around the building.

A historic performance venue built in 1911, which is said to be plagued by numerous unexplained incidents. Multiple witnesses have reported seeing paranormal activity which includes the sound of disembodied footsteps, voices and whistling, as well as sightings of shadow people and ghostly figures.

A theatre built in the heart of Manchester in 1806, although a theatre has stood on the site much longer, but was demolished to make way for the newer more modern building. The theatre was enlarged in 1847 giving us the building we see today.

The theatre has been through more than its fair share of tragedy. It was damaged by a German bomb during the Second World War, which resulted in it being closed until it was rebuilt in the mid-1970s. The bomb blast sadly killed several people.

The theatre was again damaged in 1996, this time by a 3,300lb IRA bomb, which detonated less than 50 meters away from the building.

Two people have taken their own lives in the theatre, one by throwing himself off a balcony, the other is said to be a female. Could it be her ghost who is seen in the form of an unhappy female spirit in the wig room. It's claimed that she throw objects around the room and doesn't like lilies, which are said to wilt before their time.

The green room is also said to be haunted by the ghost of a man in a dark suite who's seen with a glamorous blonde-haired lady. And the spirit of actor James Maxwell has been reported around the building, perhaps because he was so fond of the theatre.

The Theatre Royal on Drury Lane is London's oldest working theatre, there's been a theatre on this site since 1663 and as you'd expect, the building has its fair share of resident ghosts.

The theatre's most famous ghost is known as 'The Man In Grey', a spirit who is seen limping through the theatre in a grey cloak and three-cornered hat, he's usually seen at the beginning of a successful West End run.

Whoever this ghost is, he seems to be friendly, it's often been said that he'll give actors a helping hand by pushing them in to position and can often be seen walking past the stage in front of the entire audience during matinee performances.

The Coliseum dates back to 1885, despite lots of competition when it originally opened, it's now the only theatre left in the area, although it too closed briefly in the 1930s due to financial difficulties, but opened again by the end of the decade.

The theatre's most famous ghost is that of an actor named Harold Norman, who lost his life after being accidentally stabbed during a performance of 'Macbeth' at the theatre in 1947. His ghost has been seen in the upper circle.

Another frequent spook is spotted in the wardrobe department, he's believed to be the ghost of Carl Paulsen, who died at the theatre in 1973.

The Empire's resident spooks include the ghost of a tearful young girl seen wearing Victorian era clothing. She's been spotted by staff on many occasions, usually late at night in one of the bar areas. Some have reported seeing her being dragged away by a man.

The theatre is also said to be haunted by a handyman called Les, he was a painter at the theatre and is said to have come back to his former place of work after his death. There's also been reports of a dark apparition seen in one of the dressing rooms. The apparition was most often seen as a dark shape in the mirror and was been blamed for temperature drops in the room. The dressing room has now been converted into a store room, which seems to have put an end to the haunting.

The Kenton Theatre in Henley-On-Thames has been known for decades as one of England's most haunted stages, with an unwanted spirit has been blamed for breaking mirrors and turning lights on and off. Since it was first built in 1805, the building has been a school, a church hall and a clinic for soldiers, but since the 1960s when it reopened as a theatre, the paranormal activity seems to have intensified.

Many of these reports feature around the town's most infamous past residents, Mary Blandy. After poisoning her father by putting arsenic in his tea in 1751, Mary was convicted and hanged for murder, but in the century since her death people all over Henley have claimed to see her ghost.

In 1969, the Kenton Theatre played host to a run of performances of The Hanging Wood, that tells for story of the life and death of Mary Blandy. During the show's rehearsals, cast members reported seeing a phantom woman dressed in grey at the back of the venue, a shadow figure lurking in the staging rigging, and a teacup rising from a table before dropping and smashing.

The city centre theatre has a long and dark history, including its former uses as a place of execution, a police station and a meeting place for the infamous Hellfire Club. The paranormal activity in the building ranges from reports from staff of the uneasy feeling that they're being watched or even touched and doors open on their own, through to visitors witnessing full apparitions.

The most active parts of The Tron is said to be the Victorian Bar and the back two rows of the auditorium. The ghostly sightings included reports of phantom children and the apparition of a man seen roaming the building dressed in riding gear. There's also said to be a menacing spirit which lurks in the boiler room, which sits on the former site of St Mary's Crypt.

There are so many reports of paranormal activity in the building, that used to be a police station and small prison, that some people refuse to enter alone at night, and even in the daytime. The reported phenomenon includes furniture moving, doors slamming, the sound of men and women crying, and reports of people being pushed on the stairs.

Many have witnessed apparitions of faceless policemen as well as convicts, most often wandering around the cells and in the police common room.

This historic theatre is said to have several resident spooks, one of which coincidentally shares a name and occupation with a ghost who haunts the Empire Theatre, also in Liverpool. Les was a former caretaker at the theatre and it's a matter of record that he died after a fall while working on the building's roof in the 1970s, but the staff of the building still feel his presence.

The theatre is also said to be haunted by a crying usher dressed in 1920s style clothing, she has been seen by several visitors. Others have reported seeing an apparition of a lady in red and the ghost of a man wearing a Cavalier costume, and two cleaners reported seeing an apparition that they described as looking like the Grim Reaper.

The large building started its life as a theatre, but in 1923 become a cinema which operated up until 2014. Since then its current owners have worked to restore the building to its former glory and returned it to work as a theatre.

During its time as a cinema, there were claims that the building was haunted by a former member of staff who is said to have taken her own life by throwing herself from the balcony. The unfortunate event it said to have happened one Christmas when a cashier was confronted by her manager after she was caught stealing the proceeds of ticket sales from the till. Once confronted, she ran from the office in the upper part of the building and was so overcome with guilt, that she ended her life.

Ever since the building is said to have been haunted by her ghost, including sightings and unexplained footsteps - especially around Christmas. The story goes that at one point her presence was so disturbing that the staff were forced to move their offices into the lower parts of the building.

A 19th century performance venue that was refurbished and re-opened in 2011 and is said to be a hotbed of paranormal activity, including unexplained knocks and bangs, poltergeist activity and there's even stories that the building's paintings which adorn the walls have become warped.

Customers have experienced everything from the sounded of a piano being played by unseen hands to disembodied legs walking up stairs, and even the full apparition of a gentleman wearing First World War attire.

Other spooked in the theatre include a man in a bowler hat and the spirit of a red haired woman, who's seen wandering the building during performances. It's said that if she's seen it means the show will be successful.

Derby's Grand Theatre has had a mixed past, having been abandoned for various periods throughout the years. It's been known as the Locarno ballroom, which was hugely popular throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s, before becoming a nightclub under different names including Tiffany's, Confettis, Ritzy, Eclipse and finally McClusky's.

The club closed in 2006 and became a Chinese restaurant, May Sum. The theatre is said to be haunted by two resident spooks, both are believed to be the spirits of two people who died in a fire in 1886. In recent years the restaurant's owners have brought in a medium to try to free the ghosts from the building.

Staff, actors and customers have reported seeing the ghost of a stage hand, as well as the spirit of a lady in white. She has been seen all over the building for at least 50 years, often wandering the stage and most recently in the circle. The woman is believed to be the ghost of a ballerina who tragically killed herself in one of the dressing rooms. Her ghost is often said to be accompanied by the smell of lavender.

Elsewhere in the building, a hooded figure has been seen in the cellar areas, some think he could be connected to the original chapel. Meanwhile backstage, there are said to be three spirits. One is a playful ghost called Charlie, who is said to hide props on the stage.

There's also a more sinister energy that lurks in this area, some say this menacing entity could have been responsible for the 1910 fire. The third ghost is a that of a lost child who's seen wearing period costume and is attracted to other children.

The paranormal activity at the Lyceum was said to have been so bad that in 1969 an exorcist was called in. Clearly this didn't work, as the hauntings continue to this day.

The Royal Court Theatre was once the site of the Henrietta Street Iron Foundry, until it was destroyed by fire in 1850. It was later rebuilt and opened its doors to the public in 1893.

Many staff, guests and performers have reported paranormal activity in the form of poltergeist activity, ringing bells, unexplained draughts, and even disembodied blue legs seen walking through the building.

One of the theatre's ghosts is that of Kitty, who is thought to be an usher who worked at the theatre at some point in the past.

Others have reported hearing shuffling feet, the sound of an audience taking their seat but on investigation have found the theatre to be empty.

Reports of ghostly goings on have been made as recently as 2008, when a spirit was captured in a photograph taken during a performance by the Second Rossendale Scout Band. Although the ghostly figure wasn't visible at the time, in the photo an old woman with grey hair was seen wearing a black dress with a white collar.

Kings Theatre in Newmarket was originally building as a school for girls in around 1875, but was put to use as a hospital during World Wad II. There have been reports of a dark sinister entity roaming the building, as well playful female spirit named Gladys, and a male apparition seen in auditorium. The team also investigate the potential of possible poltergeist activity.

Champness Hall is one of the biggest buildings in Rochdale, but today it's in a state of disrepair, making it an eerie location and one which is said to be haunted. The hall is named after the Methodist minister who funded the building, Thomas Champness.

The building is deceivingly large with a maze of back rooms, corridors and multiple stairwells surrounding a large art deco style auditorium at the heart of the building. With the lights off, it's especially easy to become lost and disorientated.

Those working in the building have reported seeing a dark shadowy figure roaming the corridors, heard disembodied footsteps and voices, and have entered rooms to find furniture has moved around on its own. There's a grand piano in part of the building that's known to play itself from time to time, and despite its size and weight appears to move while the building is locked up at night.

Some think the haunting good be a result of the building's only recorded death, that of a young boy who fell from the balcony in the auditorium in 1946. Ever since people claim to have seen his spirit and even a dark figure walking between the seats on the balcony.

Originally built as the Victoria Pavilion Theatre in 1897, but closed in 1977 due to a fall it profits. The building once house a ballroom, but sadly this part of the building was demolished in 1982, a campaign to restore and preserve the rest of historic building has been running ever since.

The most haunted part of the building is said to be the main auditorium, where shadows have been seen moving across the stage and witnesses have reported being pushed, slapped and poked by an unseen force. One of the theatre's dressing rooms is believed to be haunted by the spirit of a seamstress who died having not realised her dreamed of becoming a professional dancer. There's also the ghost of young boy who's spotted running through this part of the building.

Other haunted hotspots include the the bar and in the many stairwells and many visitors have reported hearing disembodied footsteps, unexplained voices and strange sounds.

The Groundlings Theatre located in Portsea near Portsmouth is a popular location for ghost hunters with various paranormal events companies running events. The theatre has appeared on television in the 2021 series of the British ghost hunting show, 'Help! My House Is Haunted' and is a personal favourite of television ghost hunter and demonologist, Fred Batt.

The Georgian theatre is said to be haunted by the ghost of a young boy known as Little George, who is said to have been mistreated and maybe even killed in the building. His ghost has reportedly been seen sitting on the stairs in the building.

The Theatre Royal, home of the Bristol Old Vic since 1946, is one the oldest continually-operating theatres in the world.

The theatre on King Street was built between 1764–66, it’s now a Grade I listed building and Daniel Day-Lewis called it "the most beautiful theatre in England."

The theatre is said to be haunted by a young actress called Sarah Siddon’s. Sarah's boyfriend hanged himself at this theatre, and her ghost is thought to continue to mourn the loss.

When the Old Vic was redeveloped in 2010, the architect Andrzej Blonski reported seeing Sarah's ghost, wearing a long, white crinoline dress. Staff working at the theatre have reported hearing a female voice telling them to "get out."

But Sarah isn't alone, the ghost of a scenic painter named Richard who died in an accident while working is said to still haunt the building and if often blamed for continually moving props around.