Department Handbook

Theatre Superstitions

• Never put shoes on a dressing table.
• Never whistle in the theatre.
• Never rehearse the final line of the play.
• Never use real flowers on the stage.
• Never rehearse your lines just before the play begins.
• Never wear "new" clothes on opening night.
• Spilling a make-up box is bad luck.
• It's bad luck to peer through the curtains at the audience.
• Never use yellow for curtains.
• Cats are lucky around theatre - but unlucky if they run across stage.
• Never use peacock feathers on the stage.
• It is unlucky to open umbrellas backstage or drop a comb.
• Three candles on the stage or in a dressing room are unlucky.
• Knitting is forbidden on stage or backstage.
• If an actor's shoes squeak as he or she makes their first entrance it is good luck.
• Shoes on a chair or a shelf are bad luck.
• It is good luck to trip or fall accidentally during a performance.
• Never mention the "Scottish" play unless you are rehearsing it.
• Never remove flowers given as gifts from your dressing room until the show closes.
• You should never "clean" the inside of a make-up box.
• If you spill face powder, you should dance on it to bring good luck.
• It is considered bad luck to wish an actor "Good Luck."
• It is considered bad luck to wish an actor to "break a leg."
• "Have a good show" has no superstitions.