Weird Tales of the Palace Theatre, Sydney

In the 1970's, when I worked casually at the Palace Theatre, I heard many strange tales.

One, in particular, fascinated me.

The Palace Theatre still retained the orchestra pit in front of the stage. I would walk down past the stalls, past the orchestra pit, through a side door near the stage. Finally I passed a narrow, black, spiral, wrought iron staircase.

And here is where the tale begins.

Often, I would feel a chill pocket of air. It was not a draught. It was like the air, in a particular spot, was a decidely lower temperature than the surrounding air. It was almost as if the air was wrapping around me.

Usherettes told me they had heard that a ringer (a curtain ringer) had always wanted to be an actor. For some reason, the closest he could get to the stage was his job as a ringer. One night, when he finally brought down the curtain after a live show, he was caught in the ropes, swung to the top of the curtain, and then plummeted to his death in the orchestra pit.

Apparently, he used the spiral staircase to check the ropes and curtain.

Was the chill in the air, his presence still in the theatre?

When the Palace was demolished, I believe the Menzies Hotel near Wynyard Station, bought the spiral staircase. I wonder if "the chill" went with it?