Whether you’re a devoted theatre regular or an occasional playhouse visitor, you will be familiar with one of live theatre’s greatest pleasures: its spontaneity. Part of the irresistible magic of theatre is the unpredictability of live performance, the knowledge that no two nights on stage are ever quite the same. Each performance is fleeting, existing only once, like a secret shared between performers and audience.

But with such magic comes mishap. It is no secret that thespians are a superstitious bunch, clinging to traditions that range from the mysterious to the downright bizarre. From whispered backstage taboos to rituals performed before stepping into the lights, theatre culture is riddled with beliefs designed to ward off disaster and invite good fortune. Many of the well-known superstitions can be traced back to Elizabethan culture, and while not all can be substantiated by fact, they continue to influence the way performers and audiences experience the stage. So, without further ado, here are some of the most popular and beloved theatre superstitions:

“No other work in Shakespeare’s canon has as ominous a performance history as that of Macbeth”

1. Don’t you dare wish us luck!

In theatre wishing someone “good luck” before a show or an audition is practically a curse. The correct send-off for a performer is, of course, “break a leg!” While admittedly this phrase can seem a little counterintuitive – even fairly aggressive – it carries a rich history. The phrase, generally traced back to the early 1900s, has accumulated a host of origin stories over the years, each more dramatic than the last. One of the more entertaining theories suggests that wishing someone to “break a leg” before an audition is hoping they wind up in the cast – get it? Others point to more literal ‘legs’ such as those of the curtains that frame a proscenium arch of the stage. A show successful enough to earn repeated curtain calls and a standing ovation would see them raised and lowered until, metaphorically at least, they break. This tradition is also particularly distinctive in its international reach and variety. In France, performers are wished “merde”, a phrase dating back to the days of horse-drawn carriages, when a street piled high with manure outside a theatre signalled a well-attended performance. And that’s theatre culture for you – even the strangest well-wishes are taken as the highest compliment.

2. Double, double toil and trouble…

Most notorious of the theatre superstitions is the curse of Macbeth. When performing this Shakespeare’s tragedy, actors are careful to avoid uttering its name inside the theatre, opting instead for the euphemism “the Scottish play”. No other work in Shakespeare’s canon has as ominous a performance history as that of Macbeth. The play has long been plagued with illness, disaster and even death, reportedly being banned at one point by James I. Legend has it that the actor who played Lady Macbeth on the play’s opening night died, forcing Shakespeare himself to take over the role. Others in the same performance were apparently injured when real knives were accidentally used instead of props for the death of King Duncan. This curse extends well beyond the early modern period, as the Old Vic’s 1937 production proved similarly ill-fated when a falling stage weight narrowly missed killing Laurence Olivier, with the death of the theatre manager adding to the misfortune. Talk about unlucky… Should one accidentally speak the play’s name aloud, tradition dictates a remedy: exit the theatre, circle it three times, maybe even spit on the ground for good measure, and knock to be invited back in.

“At the end of the day these rituals are less about concrete facts and more about fostering a sense of community to power a company through the worst of times”

3. A bad dress rehearsal means a good opening night

Few theatre superstitions are invoked with quite as much desperation as this one. Less rooted in ancient ritual, this superstition’s origins are murky (perhaps the invention of a quietly panicking drama teacher or director in need of morale-boosting). The saying will be familiar to anyone involved in student theatre; Cambridge companies frantically attempting to pull a production together mere hours before opening night, armed with little more than blind faith and caffeine. The saying tends to surface only after a disastrous dress rehearsal, usually offered as consolation to a deflated cast by someone determined to restore faith in the production. Is there any truth to it? Who can say? A bad dress rehearsal may prompt sharper focus, more diligent line learning, or simply the reassuring belief that once you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up.

Alongside these most well-known superstitions sit others concerned with objects such as peacock feathers and mirrors, which are considered cursed and unwelcome within the theatre space. Ultimately, whether rooted in religious belief, coincidence, or collective anxiety, theatre rituals persist because they offer performers a sense of control in such an inherently unpredictable art form. At the end of the day these rituals are less about concrete facts and more about fostering a sense of community to power a company through the worst of times. Superstitions may just be a part of our utterly irrational theatrics, but of course, we cling on to them…just in case!