Theatre Hauntings: West End Ghouls (2026) Review

Theatre Hauntings: West End Ghouls (2026) Review

Take a peek behind the curtain and discover some of theatre’s most infamous ghost stories in Robin Bextor (Peaky Blinders: The Real Story, Nosferatu: The Real Story) and Simon Hanning’s new documentary Theatre Hauntings: West End Ghouls, arriving on UK digital from Reel2Reel Films on 5 October.

The film explores chilling tales of unexplained apparitions and poltergeist performers said to linger around London’s theatres long after the spotlights have gone out and the audiences have gone home. Through interviews with Stage Ghosts and Haunted Theatres author Nick Bromley, eyewitness testimonies and dramatic reconstructions, it delves into stories ranging from the spirit of a World War I soldier supposedly trapped inside London’s Coliseum to the tragic murder of stage actor William Terriss outside the Adelphi Theatre. There’s also the mischievous, apparently benevolent spectre of legendary clown Joseph Grimaldi at Drury Lane, alongside considerably less friendly visitors from beyond the grave.

Released on the same day by the same filmmakers as Theatre Hauntings: Dark Knights on Broadway, West End Ghouls follows an almost identical format. Both documentaries run for around an hour, with each haunting given roughly ten minutes of screen time and brought to life through narration, interviews and dramatic recreations.

Fortunately, there’s not a minute of waste here. The production is professionally assembled and clearly well researched, while the measured pace comes as something of a relief compared with the glut of paranormal programming that seems determined to sensationalise every creaking floorboard and flickering light in the name of cheap entertainment.

There’s no shortage of atmosphere either, with the theatrical setting providing an ideal backdrop for tales of things that go bump in the night. More importantly, the documentary actually has plenty of stories to tell, rather than padding out its running time with endless speculation or repeated footage.

Of the two films released alongside one another, West End Ghouls is the more satisfying supernatural showcase. While Dark Knights on Broadway occasionally feels as though it is struggling to fill its hour, this one has considerably more spooky material to get its teeth into.

So, if you fancy some theatrical ghost stories this spooky season, dim the lights, settle in and prepare to discover that the West End’s biggest stars may not all have left the building.

Theatre Hauntings: West End Ghouls is on UK digital 5 October from Reel2Reel Films