Spooked by the West End ghost

REadiNg about the restoration of the Theatre Royal, drury Lane, i was reminded of when i saw gone With The Wind many years ago. Barry Kent, who was standing in for Harve Presnell as Rhett Butler, knew my mother and me and had arranged for us to see a matinee performance. in the interval, a pot of tea and cakes were brought to our seats. after the performance, we went to Barry’s dressing room, and he took us onto the stage. i was interested to see that the willows were made of thick rope knotted at intervals, which was very effective. Barry was standing between me and my mother and, as we walked across the stage, i suddenly felt two

hands on my shoulders. Barry had his arms at his sides and there was no one else there. i didn’t say anything, as i thought it might put him off his stride in the evening performance. as we were on our way home, my mother said she had noticed that i’d jumped, so i told her why. Much later, i read that when a show is successful at the Theatre Royal, the ghost of dan Leno, a Victorian music hall comedian, makes himself felt. Many performers have reported being pushed from behind, but when they turn around, no one is there. gone With The Wind, in its first time as a musical on a West End stage, was, indeed, a great success. i imagine dan Leno must be keeping an eye on the restoration. To me, the history, atmosphere and glamour of drury Lane make it the best theatre in the country. Mrs Maureen Johnston,

Swindon, Wilts.