Eye on the Esplanade: Breaking a leg, whistle and ghost lightâ€¦

By JACK NEMO on November 4, 2022.

I’ve been at the Esplanade for just over six years, but the origins of theatre date back over two thousand years when the Ancient Greeks first held dramatic presentations. This long history has led to many traditions that have stuck around throughout the ages, while their original intents have been forgotten. I thought I would try to elaborate on a few of these, though some true intents are still debated.

We’ve all heard someone wish an actor luck by saying “Break a leg!” before a performance. It could refer to getting the chance to ‘bend’ your legs for the final bow after a successful show, or perhaps hoping to cause the audience a ‘leg-breaking good time’ with all the leg stomping to express their applause. I believe it has a simpler meaning. The curtains on the side of the stage that hide the backstage area and give actors a place to hide while waiting for their part are called ‘legs.’ You’re literally wishing that someone gets the opportunity to ‘break’ the stage legs and go on to perform.

A lesser-known bit of theatre lore is to never whistle in a theatre. A strange superstition that is surprisingly rational. Early theatres had rigging to move curtains, props, and stage scenery around the stage, using a series of ropes and pulleys very much like a ship uses for sailing. A common way for sailors to earn extra money while at port was to work with these familiar mechanics for performances. And the way sailors communicated certain operations was through whistling. So, a novice actor whistling onstage might accidentally call for a set piece to land on their head.

Another long held rule is to always turn on the ‘ghost light’ at the end of the night, after turning off all the lights in the theatre and closing the door. Sensible people will say it’s so if a person who doesn’t know how to turn on the theatre lights wanders in, they won’t walk off the stage or into props. A traditional sensible person will say it’s a hold-over from when the lights were gas powered, and a light left on would burn off any excess gas. A superstitious person will say it’s keeping any mischievous ghosts away. I like to think it IS for the theatre ghost. You know, so they don’t get scared.

One last tip; never mention ‘Macbeth’ in a theatre. And if you do, go outside and spin around three times.