Monday, June 29, 2015

The Woman in Black cast fear they are being haunted by ghost

When the classic ghost story was performed at the Stephen Joseph theatre in Scarborough about 20 years ago there were reported sightings of a phantom sitting in the back row during rehearsals.

The apparition, dubbed Mabel in a Mac, was believed to be the spirit of a cleaning woman who fell to her death when the venue was an Odeon cinema.

Mabel was said to have been stealing money from the till and plunged over the balcony into the stalls while being chased by her manager.

The ghostly figure of a woman was also seen in a box at The Fortune Theatre in London during the play’s 26-year run in the West End. With The Woman In Black being revived in Scarborough by Sir Alan Ayckbourn, the artistic director of the Stephen Joseph venue, its cast and crew fear Mabel has returned to haunt them.

Frightened staff have heard unexplained footsteps during rehearsals and believe they have felt the icy touch of Mabel.

Jason Mullen, duty manager of the Stephen Joseph, says the spooky events centre on the area of the McCarthy Auditorium where Mabel is said to have died many decades ago.

He said: “You feel her brush past you when you’re sitting in the back row alone and sometimes she prods you on the arm. Other funny things have happened as well, like boxes being moved around in one of the store rooms.


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