Do you believe in ghosts? What about opera-singing ghosts?

Commissioned by Network Ten, Haunted was a television special that investigated hauntings and folk legends throughout Australia. This excerpt centres on the incredible story of Frederick Federici, the Italian-born British opera singer who famously died during a performance of Faust at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre in 1888.

Federici was playing Mephistopheles, the demonic antagonist of the opera, when he collapsed after descending through a stage trapdoor – a coincidence that has undoubtedly helped sustain the legend of his ghost for well over a century.

Capturing the program’s mix of earnest investigation and sensational storytelling, the clip combines archival photographs with low-fi reconstructions of Federici’s spirit that are equal parts eerie and delightfully camp. An interview with stage director Blair Edgar, who claims to have encountered the ghost himself, adds a colourful, gossipy touch as he vividly recalls catching a faint, spectral scent of old lavender.

Explore more of After Dark – a Deep Dive into Australian nightlife that draws on decades of material from the NFSA collection.