In theatre, actors do weird things to ward off bad luck. Take for instance the backstage saying, “break a leg,” an apparent sure-fire way to guarantee a good performance.
Or consider the personal ritual many actors have. Ottawa actor Pierre Brault always says a meditative word to his deceased father before going on stage.
Sometimes these rituals are more superstitious. During the current run of Macbeth at the National Arts Centre, many actors refuse to say the title of the play. They call it “the Scottish play” instead, believing the real name to be cursed and full of bad luck.
“While I don’t necessarily support the superstition, I definitely don’t say the name backstage, out of respect,” says Brault, who plays several characters in the play.
He himself has challenged the curse before and failed. Years ago, during a performance of Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale, he boldly uttered, “Macbeth!” before making his entrance on stage.
As he walked on, the stage lights went down, leaving it pitch black.
“It was a power failure,” he says. “While I don’t believe it was my fault, it did spook me a little bit.”
The alleged curse has spooked many cast members in their time. Often, the result is a bad review from theatre critics. But sometimes consequences are worse. An example is Charlton Heston, who was burned severely while performing Macbeth. Laurence Olivier, the famous Shakespearean actor, was nearly hit with a 25-pound stage weight. Another time, he almost blinded a fellow actor.
Others, tragically, have died. During a 1942 Macbeth run directed by John Gielgud, three cast members died and the set designer committed suicide.
Oftentimes, members of the cast perform a ritual to offset the curse.
They’ll turn around three times, exit the theatre and walk around its perimeter.
Peter Froehlich is a professor of theatre at the University of Ottawa and performs at the NAC. He plays Seyton in the current run of Macbeth and says that so far, no one has done the walk.
“The NAC is a pretty big building to walk around,” he says, jokingly.
Froehlich says the Macbeth superstition originates from its popularity as a play.
When theatre companies were experiencing box-office difficulties, they would haul out a performance of Macbeth. But, if a theatre was already troubled, one special performance would not be enough to keep it from closing.
It seems that the NAC is exempt from the Macbeth curse. The play has been adapted several times in the almost 40-year history of the centre. So far, the only tragic elements have been those written into the script.
Gerry Grace, a long-time archivist at the NAC, says his favourite production was a version of Macbeth by acclaimed director Robert Lepage.
“It was the kind of play you get from Lepage; it was unconventional and it was interesting,” he says.
While Grace says most productions at the NAC are polished and professional, some have indeed been cursed with bad luck.
One incident happened only weeks after the NAC opened in 1969. During a performance by the National Ballet of Canada, a stage elevator malfunction disrupted some of the dancers as it dropped below the orchestra pit.
Just last year, a production of Handel’s Messiah and a Colin James Christmas concert were both interrupted by an unwelcome bat. The unexpected visitor got away however, before anyone could catch it.
Grace also recalls some of the quirky stars who have walked the backstage corridors.
Character actor Wilfrid Hyde White made NAC staff place small figurines in certain spots on stage during his performance of Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband.
“He wouldn’t go on without them,” says Grace.
Brault too, recalls some quirky actors. One never washed his lucky undershirt during a production run, while another refused to return for curtain call until the last minute.
“Every performer, whether we’re talking theatre, sport or any risk-taking adventure, has a ritual,” he says. “It’s just the nature of the business.”