'Macbeth is steeped in superstition.'

'Superstition is the sign of a weak mind, Inspector. I have no truck with it. When this theatre opened in 1826, the first play presented was Macbeth with the great William Macready in the title role. I seek to emulate him.'

'I have no doubt that you will, Mr Buckmaster,' said Colbeck, admiringly. 'I've always enjoyed your performances.'

The actor beamed. 'Thank you, Inspector.'

'As for the choice of play, I'm inclined to agree with you. I fear that Mr Kellow would have met the same fate had you been staging A Midsummer Night's Dream.'

'That's well beyond our capabilities,' admitted Buckmaster. 'Even with strenuous doubling, it has far too many characters for a touring company. Actors need to be paid and our income is very restricted. That's why we have to rely on patronage.'

'Yes,' said Colbeck, 'I noticed from your playbill that the first night is being sponsored by the mayor.'

'There are three other bespoke performances so we can rely on an audience for those. The challenge is to fill the theatre on the other nights as well as at the matinee.'

'Word of mouth will surely do that for you, sir. And there is no shame in patronage. Elizabethan theatre was built on it. Shakespeare and his ilk all needed patrons. However,' he said, noting how satanic the actor looked in the flickering gaslight, 'let's return to Mr Kellow. Did he tell you anything about his private life?'

'He didn't seem to have much of a private life, Inspector,' said Buckmaster. 'His employer, Mr Voke, made him work long hours and the poor man could not afford much in the way of entertainment. Mr Kellow rented a room near the shop. I gather that his parents had both died years ago. He spoke of a sister who lived in London but they saw very little of each other.'