Riverside Theatre Works

Riverside Theatre Works in Hyde Park occupies the former French's Opera House and presents community and youth productions. Its resident ghost is a spirit called Essie, said to have died in a fire when the building was still the opera house. Cast members and staff say she lives in the fly loft above the stage lights and is mostly friendly, making noises at night. A tradition holds that flowers are placed on a purple chair in the audience before shows, and that if they are not in bloom she may play tricks with the lights during the performance.