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Phantom from the opera: Andrew Lloyd Webber conducts exorcism in London home

Author
Bang Showbiz,
Publish Date
Thu, 4 Jan 2024, 4:16pm
The upcoming production of the Phantom of the Opera at the Civic Theatre. Photo / Supplied
The upcoming production of the Phantom of the Opera at the Civic Theatre. Photo / Supplied

Phantom from the opera: Andrew Lloyd Webber conducts exorcism in London home

Author
Bang Showbiz,
Publish Date
Thu, 4 Jan 2024, 4:16pm

Andrew Lloyd Webber had to call a priest to get a poltergeist out of his home.

The听Phantom of the Opera听composer explained he enlisted the help of the church to rid his 19th-century home in Belgravia, central London, of a mischievous spirit that delighted in arranging piles of paper in different areas of the house.

Asked if he had seen a ghost at any of the theatres he owns, he said he hadn鈥檛 but told the听Daily Telegraph听newspaper: 鈥淚 did have a house in Eaton Square which had a poltergeist.

鈥滻t would do things like take theatre scripts and put them in a neat pile in some obscure room. In the end, we had to get a priest to come and bless it, and it left.鈥

Lloyd Webber's collaborator, Cameron Mackintosh, recalled a 鈥渕ysterious鈥 presence he once experienced at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Photo / APLloyd Webber's collaborator, Cameron Mackintosh, recalled a 鈥渕ysterious鈥 presence he once experienced at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Photo / AP

While the 75-year-old musical theatre guru has never seen a ghost on stage, his sometime collaborator, Cameron Mackintosh, recalled a 鈥渕ysterious鈥 presence he once experienced at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, which is London鈥檚 oldest theatre and currently owned by Lloyd Webber.

Mackintosh said: 鈥淥n the opening night of听Miss Saigon听in 1989, I walked onto the vast stage and stood with [designer] John Napier. As we gazed into the beautiful empty auditorium, we felt a chill and heard some slight sounds above our heads in the grid.

鈥滶ven the light we were in seemed to take on a mysterious tinge. In less than a minute, it was gone, but we both felt some presence.鈥

But it seemed the 鈥減resence鈥 was a positive sign for the production.

Mackintosh added: 鈥淟ater the theatre鈥檚 old manager George Hoare told me, 鈥楾hat was the Man in Grey. He always turns up if you鈥檙e going to have a big hit!鈥欌

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