Entertainment

Phantom of Belgravia: Lloyd Webber says he called priest to remove poltergeist

The acclaimed composer believed the spirit had taken up residence in a 19th-century property he had in Belgravia.

Andrew Lloyd Webber claims his former home was haunted by a poltergeist
Andrew Lloyd Webber claims his former home was haunted by a poltergeist (Joe Giddens/PA)

Andrew Lloyd Webber has said he once called on a priest to help remove a poltergeist from his London home.

The acclaimed composer, whose hit musicals include The Phantom Of The Opera, believed the spirit had taken up residence in a 19th-century property he owned in Belgravia.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Lord Lloyd-Webber claimed the poltergeist would take theatre scripts and place them in neat piles in odds places.

Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber during a photocall for his musical, Love Never Dies, a continuation of The Phantom Of The Opera
Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber during a photocall for his musical, Love Never Dies, a continuation of The Phantom Of The Opera (Zak Hussein/PA)

Discussing whether any of his theatres were haunted, Lloyd Webber told the newspaper he had never seen a ghost but had witnessed some unusual activity in the central London home.

The 75-year-old said: “I did have a house in Eaton Square which had a poltergeist.

“It would do things like take theatre scripts and put them in a neat pile in some obscure room.

“In the end we had to get a priest to come and bless it, and it left.”

A poltergeist is described as a spirit or force which is supposed to manifest its presence by making noise or moving objects around in a house.

The theatre impresario created the music for The Phantom of the Opera, which first opened on the West End in 1986.

Sir Patrick Stewart also claims to have had a supernatural experience
Sir Patrick Stewart also claims to have had a supernatural experience (Ian West/PA)

However, the phantom in the production and the source novel by Gaston Leroux refers to a disfigured musical genius who haunts the Paris Opera House.

Lloyd Webber has also composed the scores for a number of other celebrated musicals including Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar and Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Actor Sir Patrick Stewart has also reportedly claimed he saw a figure on stage at the Haymarket Theatre in London while he was performing with Sir Ian McKellen during their 2009 production of Waiting for Godot.

He said: “(The spectre) was wearing a belted Norfolk jacket.

“I think he had a shirt – a rather old-fashioned check shirt with a tie underneath.”