The Great Lafayette, born as Sigmund Neuberger, was one of the most celebrated illusionists of the early 20th century. Both on and off stage, he was extravagant and lavish and his mystifying illusions and elaborate quick-changes made him the highest paid entertainer in the theatre of the time. In the spring of 1911, he visited the Festival Theatre – then known as the Empire Palace Theatre - to perform his most ambitious production to date. After he performed his finale, ‘The Lion’s Bride’, in which he swaps places with a live lion on stage, a lamp fell on the heavily carpeted set, quickly setting the stage on fire. A total of 11 people perished in the blaze, including The Great Lafayette himself, who was later found under a trap door in the basement beneath the stage. It is believed that the great illusionist haunts the Festival Theatre to this day, shining his diamond rings in the dark. It has also been reported that a piercing lion’s roar has engulfed our empty auditorium on occasion…