In the heart of Melbourne, at the site marked by latitude -37.8136276 and longitude 144.9630576 stands an ornate building radiating old-world charm. This is the Princess Theatre, a place that has been the cradle of countless performances and hosts to many famous actors. But the theatre has a resident that never leaves – an eerie presence that has been a part of the Princess Theatre’s folklore for over a century. Her name is Federici, and she is a ghost. The story of the Spectral Lady takes us back to March 3, 1888, when the opera ‘Faust’ was being performed. In the climactic scene, singer Frederick Federici, who was playing the devil Mephistopheles, descended through a trapdoor to hell, but suffered a heart attack and died backstage. Despite his unfortunate demise, Federici gave his most convincing performance that night, not as Mephistopheles, but as a ghost. Since that tragic night, members of the theatre and its patrons have reported numerous encounters with Federici’s ghost. Many claim to have seen a friendly, full-bearded spectre dressed in evening attire, strolling through the theatre halls or disappearing through the orchestra pit. The most notable sighting was reported by the cast of the musical ‘The Dress Circle’ in 1999. They claimed to see Federici during the applause on their opening night, applauding them from his former box.5. From actors to patrons to stagehands, all attest to the benevolent presence of Federici to this day. Thus, he became a performance legend more for his afterlife appearances than his life on stage; a unique and enduring piece of Melbourne’s urban folklore.