[Drury Lane Ghost.] Carbon of typewritten letter from W. Macqueen-Pope to Jack Todd of New York, giving an account of the ghost at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, which he has seen ‘on very many occasions’, and of his own association with the place.

From the papers of theatre historian W. Macqueen-Pope, who was for more than twenty years press representative for Drury Lane. (See his entry in the Oxford DNB.) The recipient is given by MP as ‘Jack Todd Esq / 446, Dimmick Street, Waterton, New York’. 2pp, 4to. 59 lines of text, single-spaced. An unsigned carbon copy, in fair condition, on lightly-aged and creasted cartridge paper. Describing himself as ‘official History of Theatre Royal, Drury Lane’ and ‘the leading historian of the British Theatre as a whole’, with ‘twenty books to my credit - or discredit’, he responds to an enquiry resulting from a report of an interview he gave to ‘Life Magazine’: ‘I dont know how much he used or how accurate it was’. Referring Todd to his history of Drury Lane, MP proudly boasts that ‘Our ghost is world famous. [...] about 135 years ago some workman [sic] were at work on the walls of the theatre at a portion thereof which is old and very thick - some thirty feet. They found a place which rang hollow. They could not understand that, so they broke through. They found themselves in a small room which had been bricked up. In that room was a skeleton and in that skeleton’s ribs was a dagger. [...] for all we know he is still with us. For it is from that wall that our ghost comes. [H]e emerges from it into the main room, he crosses it - go[e]s right through a door, turns left, enters the auditorium[,] walks right round the back of what is now the Upper Circle but which in his day, judging by his clothes, would have been the Box Circle and vanishes through the wall of the room which balances, on the other side of the Theatre, the one from which he comes. [...] He wears a three cornered hat, either a powdered wig or powdered hair - a little difficult to distinguish which - long grey riding cloak - period 18th century and below it[. Y]ou can see his riding boots and the end of a sword. The whole effect is grey and very lightly luminous - as if you were looking at a figure on the stage through a gauze. [...] I was Chief Air Raid Warden of the Theatre during the last war and about at all times of the night and never caught a glimpse of him - nor has anyone else. But during the day - he is often seen - by almost everyone who works there. He does not mind people at all. He often walks when a matinee is in progress and the house full. Many members of the audience have seen him. [...] There are records of him for about 200 years. It has been observed that if he is seen just before a new production - it will be a success. If not, it wont. And that works out with amazing precision. [...] The ghosts most recent appearance was on 4th December - this month - just before the production of “The Tempest” which is a success. He had not been seen before [e]ither of the two preceeding shows, which flopped.’ In the latter part of the letter he explains that his family has been connected with Drury Lane ‘without a break’ since 1720, and that his own ‘professional connection’ with it began in 1904, though he remembers a performance of ‘White Heather’ in 1897: ‘Henry Neville played the lead. A magnificent actor - he taught me to speak. [...] Incidentally I made my debut at Drury Lane 70 years ago as a baby in arms being carried on during the last night of the pantom[ime] that year as a gag. I’m afraid I don't remember it.’