“The Dudley Ghost Walk”, as it was first called, was originally the brainchild of Keith Cheetham, then Director of “Black Country Tourism”. This organisation was set up in 1988 to promote tourism to the Black Country on a national and international level.
Ian Bott, local historian, and producer of several books of historical photographs of the Black Country, was commissioned to research stories for the project.
David Middleton, then a freelance actor and writer, was commissioned to write a script.
Craig Denston, then only just setting out on a freelance career as a Theatre Designer, was commissioned to provide the “Ghosts” that would populate the various streets and buildings to be visited.
David and Lynn Thompson, then history students at Dudley College, were the original Guides.
And so, from those humble beginnings, “The Dudley Ghost Walk” first hit the streets on the “Press Launch”, Thursday 16th September 1993.
It has been through many changes since.
In fact, it is almost completely unrecognisable now, from that original form.
In June 1997, when the government and European funding came to its end, “Black Country Tourism” closed down.
February 1998 saw the creation of a new independent theatre company, with its own administration and bank account, “The Original Dudley Ghost Tour”.
With a new re-vamped script, new ghostly “characters”, and re-furbished masks and costumes, Craig Denston and Andrew Dingley, who had been “ghosts” behind the scenes from the very beginning, became the new Ghost Tour team.

The rest, as they say, is history.


“The Original Dudley Ghost Tour” is as much about history, as it is about ghosts. We have never stopped searching for new information, both current and historical, to continue to fill the stories out, and keep the tour ever growing and evolving.
But one thing has never changed. A commitment to a quality experience, street theatre that is both entertaining, educational, and above all, FUN!