# Hamlet - why bad luck to mention in a theater? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 16, 1999, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-why-bad-luck-to-mention-in-a-theater/4817 "1999-11-16T01:40:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_Dex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Son\_of\_Dex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_Dex)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 1999, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-why-bad-luck-to-mention-in-a-theater/4817/21 "1999-11-17T20:58:00Z")
Well, the acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree. At least, not in Birnam wood. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 1999, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-why-bad-luck-to-mention-in-a-theater/4817/22 "1999-11-17T21:03:00Z")
Great oafs from little icons grow. Proud of ya, son. ---
**Author:** ![mr\_john](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@mr\_john](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr_john)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 1999, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-why-bad-luck-to-mention-in-a-theater/4817/23 "1999-11-18T01:32:00Z")
Where’s my ceegar dex? Anybody ever heard the phrase “the ghost walks” meaning payday? Suposedly a traveling troupe of actores hadn’t been paid for a while or two,one night during a performance of Some Play the line " The ghost walks tonight"was enunciated. And from the wings was clearly heard “not unless he gets paid, he doesn’t.” BTW is facetiousness carried on the pun gene? * * * “Pardon me while I have a strange interlude.”-Marx ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 1999, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-why-bad-luck-to-mention-in-a-theater/4817/24 "1999-11-18T02:06:00Z")
Well, after all, “All the world’s a stage.” Mentioning the Scottish play anywhere would have to be a theater. \

Tris\ ---

**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 1999, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-why-bad-luck-to-mention-in-a-theater/4817/25 "1999-11-18T03:48:00Z")
According to tradition, you are allowed to metion the play and its name when you’re actually performing it. Stupid nonsense superstition though it is. But then actors are a weeeeiiird bunch. * * * -PIGEONMAN- Hero For A New Millennium! [The Legend Of PigeonMan](http://www.hotkey.net.au/~guanolad/pigeonman/) - updates every Wed & Sat ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 1999, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-why-bad-luck-to-mention-in-a-theater/4817/26 "1999-11-19T06:11:00Z")
Again, you’re mostly confusing stabbings, rapier fights, and battlefield speeches with serious on-stage combat with heavy weapons. “Henry IV, Part 1” has the fight between Hal and Hotspur, but “Henry V” has no actual combat at all, unless the director has put it there. (Several of the histories want battle scenes with extras, but that’s easy compared to a one-on-one broadsword fight.) And the fight in “Macbeth” between Macbeth and Macduff is the nasty one, because it has to be dragged out, due to the interruptions. A four-foot iron bar swung at your head is a lot more dangerous than a four-foot iron rod pushed lengthwise at your chest. * * * John W. Kennedy “Compact is becoming contract; man only earns and pays.” – Charles Williams ---
**Author:** ![mr\_john](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@mr\_john](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr_john)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 1999, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-why-bad-luck-to-mention-in-a-theater/4817/27 "1999-11-18T19:06:00Z")
black adder has been rerun somany times that Black Adder III has probably seen several episodes of Black Adder Goes Forth set in WWI and picked up the superstition from there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamlet-why-bad-luck-to-mention-in-a-theater/4817.md?page=1)