'He was determined to perform': Theatre staff relive the night Sid James gave his final show in Sunderland

Sid James was determined to perform for the people of Sunderland on the night of his final act. And some say his presence is still there.

It was on April 26, 1976, that the comic legend collapsed on the Empire Theatre stage and later died.

The Sunderland Echo went behind the scenes of the Empire this week with the help of Beth Clarke, an officer with ATG Inspire at the theatre.

Beth spoke to us from the dressing room where the famous comic was that night and told how the tragedy unfolded during a performance of The Mating Season.

Fellow Mating Season star Olga Lowe said her lines but Sid was ‘upstage from her so she couldn’t see him. He didn’t reply. She just assumed that it was him playing a trick on her.”

Olga tried twice more to say her lines but there was no response from Sid and she ran off stage. The technical manager came onto stage and asked if there was a doctor in the audience. It was soon established that Sid needed to go straight to hospital but he was dead on arrival at Sunderland Royal Infirmary.

Beth added: “When he came to the Sunderland Empire it was such a huge deal. He was very ill and a lot of people advised him not to come. They thought he was too ill to perform but he was determined that he wanted to be here.”

Beth also relived the story of the night that fellow comic legend Les Dawson was due to perform in pantomime at the Empire in 1989 and used the same dressing that Sid had been in.

“He was a little apprehensive to come to the Empire because of a few stories he had heard about Sunderland being a little bit spooky because of Sid James.

“He heard a very distinctive laugh that he knew very well. He turned round to the mirror and swore blind that he saw Sid James’ face appear to him, wearing a white shroud and looking very ghostly, almost blackened eyes and no features. He said something that he has never disclosed to the public.

“Les was so scared by this that he vowed to never return to the Empire and he never did.”

She said there had been ‘a few people who have said they do not want to be in this dressing room.”

Beth runs the theatre tours and said a recent one had been attended by someone who had been in the audience on the night of Sid James’ tragic last show.

“She said that to this day, whenever she enters the building she feels a little bit unnerved by that night because it was so haunting and so very very tragic.”

Beth also told us about the rumours that other spectres roamed the theatre and added: “There is a grey lady and a whistling man.

“A few front of house staff have mentioned that they have had ghostly encounters, and heard things and felt presences.”