The Haunting of His Majesty’s Theatre

It’s no surprise that a city as old as Aberdeen has a few ghosts lurking around its great, granite buildings. By far the most famous haunted building is His Majesty’s Theatre, although this spectre is nothing to be afraid of. His name is Jake and he was once a friendly, hardworking stagehand.

In 1942 a circus show was in town and performing at the theatre with live horses that needed to be raised and lowered on a mechanical lift. Although only designed to carry the weight of three horses, somebody decided to load all six animals on to be moved at the same time. The lift couldn’t take the strain and Jake attempted to grab the emergency brake, being hit in the head by the spinning handle and killed in the process.

His ghost, dressed in a brown dustcoat, has haunted the theatre ever since, mostly around a passage known as Lambeth Walk. Tools and paintbrushes go missing, a deep voice can be heard muttering in empty corners and backstage lights often flicker on and off. Fortunately, while Jake is mischievous, he’s also friendly and a stern word with him is known to stop the ghostly antics!