Hobarts Historic Theatre Royal

When Australia's oldest theatre, the Theatre Royal was almost destroyed by fire on 18th June 1984, it may have been saved by an unseen ghostly hand.
Stage sets, lighting and other equipment were lost in the blaze. But, amazingly, the fire curtain at the edge of the stage descended and prevented the fire from spreading into the auditorium beyond the first six rows of seats. The Mercury Newspaper said: "How the curtain had operated on its own has not been fully explained, although....a small fuse probably burned through and released it."
The then manager, Mrs. Pauline Buckby, stated that she thought the theatre's resident shad, Fred, could well have been responsible for saving it. "Fred loves this theatre, and Im sure he was responsible for letting the fire curtain down" she said.

Fred seems to have made himself known to quite a few celebrities. Hollywood reporter John Michael Howson is said to have been sitting reading a newspaper backstage a few years ago when he heard his name distinctly called four times, though on investigation no one admitted having done so.
Actress Jacki Weaver had told how, late one night after a show, she saw a figure sitting in the dress-circle. Since the theatre was empty and in semi darkness, she took it for granted that it was one of the cleaners. But then she discovered that there was no one there. In fact there was nobody else but herself in the whole building.
When Stuart Wagstaff was rehearsing at the Theatre for My Fair Lady, it is said he was also treated to a ghostly manifestation. The doors to the dress-circle suddenly flew open and shut for no particular reason. Other people present at the time said they had felt an inexplicable chill, which was too uncanny to be caused by a draught.