Theatre Superstitions

People who work in the theatre can be a very superstitious group. They believe there are things that will bring bad luck to the actors on stage. Take a look at the list below to see what the superstition is and maybe even where it came from.

• The colour blue: Wearing the colour blue on stage is bad luck. In the past, it was expensive for theatre companies to buy blue costumes. They often ran out of money!
• Three candles: It is bad luck to have three candles lit onstage. Before electricity, theatres used candles. That was risky as the theatre could easily go on fire if someone knocked them over.
• Wishing someone “Good Luck”: It is bad luck to say “Good Luck” to an actor going on stage. You should sat “Break a Leg” instead. Hundreds of years ago if the audience liked the performance, they threw money onto the stage. So, the actors would kneel down to get it. This means they would “break” the straight position of their standing leg to get the money.

Adapted from www.listverse.com