View of the world famous stage from the stalls - and setting for the closing séance

Date – 26th January 2008
Location – A well known theatre located in the South East of England
Group Information: We attended as part of another group who had a variety of expertise.
Team: Laura and Mark 

Introduction:
As far as investigations go, this one will remain in our memories for a long time to come - a well known location, with a long history of paranormal events recorded over many years by various witnesses, but for this night in particular, spiced up by the antics of an unnamed ‘medium’.

We were fortunate to record a sample of poor quality EVP just prior to the investigation proper, but this represented the only potentially paranormal occurrence that we were able to capture on recording medium during the night.

Laura did pick up some information as we explored the theatre, but, due to the nature of the location it would prove difficult to verify to any extent, with many thousands of people passing through its walls during its long history.

Despite this, you will find one of our most lengthy reports to date, mainly due to certain events that we have hinted at in our introduction. For this we make no apologies. 

Laura’s Notes:

Ground Floor
First of our vigils for the night, as small groups started downstairs on the ground floor, we were allowed on stage in the stalls, in the foyer area and a few other nooks and crannies on that level.

To start with, we decided that we would try the stage area.

We were given some equipment by a couple of the team leaders - a tape recorder, a dowsing crystal and a pair of dowsing rods. This was in addition to our own audio recorders and camera’s.

We didn’t pick up that much in this area, but again I didn’t feel that the area was dark enough, as there were still quite a few lights on which therefore didn’t create much of an atmosphere for me.

Having had no response from the dowsing rods or crystal and with myself not picking up much in this area, we were just waiting for the time to tick by so as we could get on with the next area in the upper level. This was where I especially wanted to get back to, having picked information and feelings up in that area on the first vigil we did as a whole group (everybody). Once our time was up on this level we gave the equipment provided by the team leaders back and headed off to the upper level back corridor where I had picked stuff up earlier.


Upper Level
The second vigil of the evening was back at the rear corridor on the upper level once we had re-grouped - Myself, Mark, Male (M), Female (F), together with two male team members. I am not sure of their names, so I’ll call them MT(1) & MT(2) for the purpose of this report, there was also a female group leader who I’ll refer to as (A).

We started on this level with a table tipping experiment. To be honest, in my experience this not something that I’ve had any good results with in the past, but as always, I thought that this might just be the time where I am proved wrong.

Four of us sat around the table, which was very small and not very sturdy, more like a TV dinner fold out table. I sat at the far end with (F) to my left, MT(1) opposite me and (M) to my right.

We must have tried for a few minutes when MT(1) reported he could feel the table move. Personally, I didn’t feel the table move and neither did the other two.
We continued with the experiment and after a few more minutes, the undersides of my hands (the palms) felt really icy cold. This I found unusual, as have experienced cool breezes over the tops of my hands before, but not underneath like this. The others also mentioned cool breezes, but after no other activity after a further ten minutes, we all decided to bring the table tipping session to a close.

At this point I asked (A) if we could try some glass divination in area, with the hope I could maybe make contact with the spirit that I had encountered earlier in the evening. At this point, no other person knew fully what I’d picked up earlier as I had only managed to tell Mark bits and pieces.

However, I had written everything down in my notepad that I had with me.

Once we had acquired a glass, I asked if we could move around the corner further along the corridor (we were in a L shaped corridor), as this was my ‘hot spot’ so to speak from earlier on in the evening.

Everybody agreed and were game for trying whatever would possibly get a result.

At this point, just before I continue, there is one thing that I would like to include here. Although I accept that it may be of no real importance, but I personally feel is worth mentioning that when I asked (A) about trying the glass – MT(1) thought it would be worth trying as the last group had a lot of activity with the pendulum in the area. 

First glass divination attempt.
We set the table up in the spot where I had picked up information earlier and placed the glass on the table, along with two pieces of paper with NO written on one piece and YES written on the other. The pieces of paper were placed at either end of the table.

Having done glass divination before, I was happy to take lead. Again, the four of us from the table tipping experiment took part, with (F) to my left, followed by (M) and MT(1) opposite me.

I started as always, asking if there were any spirit who wished to make contact or communicate with us. After about five minutes the glass started to move in small circles.

Once contact was made, we all took turns in asking questions to try and establish with whom we were talking to and try and find out about the spirit we were communicating with.

After a few questions I started to feel the way that I had done earlier, we were communicating with the same man I had picked up in the same area. To be honest, the man made me feel a little unnerved and I decided that there was little point in me continuing the contact with this spirit. I therefore sat out for the rest of the experiment and let the others continue. However, I did warn everyone that I thought the spirit was playing with us and being mischievous.

The remaining group members continued regardless (in the hope I would be proved wrong I think).

After a few more minutes the others also felt they may be being played by this spirit, but before they could ask any further questions the glass stopped dead and things came to a standstill.

After a few minutes of discussion about the divination experiment, we decided to try one last time before moving to our next area. 


Second glass divination attempt.
At the second attempt, the dynamics of the group changed slightly – MT(1) decided to sit this one out and was replaced with MT(2).

Apart from this, the set up was the same as before, with (F) to my left, followed by (M) and MT(2) opposite me. Again, we started as before, asking for contact. Very quickly the glass was moving and contact was made.

This time the glass was moving differently and the atmosphere also felt different. In my mind I felt that this was definitely a different spirit making contact.

After a lot of questions, time was running out fast and we had to start wrapping up before the next group arrived, so we asked if the spirit would try and make contact with us again in the next area that we were going to visit. The spirit, via the glass, agreed, so we closed down the communication and moved to our next area. This was the middle level of the theatre, in the bar area, this time with a new team leader who was looking after this area, a medium who was part of the event team, who I shall refer to as (Med). 


First attempt at Planchette divination
This for me was something new. As I’ve never used a planchette previously, before we started I asked questions to see how it worked. I then examined the actual planchette to satisfy my own curiosity as to how it worked.

Once we were all sat comfortably we decided to commence the session. To start, there were three of us all sat around a small table - myself, (F) to my left and MT(2) to my right. We placed our fingers on the top edge of the planchette and used it in the same way as the glass, calling out and asking questions before waiting for a response.

We tried for what seemed like ages, but in reality was probably only around seven or eight minutes.

Then (Med) joined in.

(Med) stood between myself and MT(2) and placed his finger on the planchette. Being a medium, He asked his guide for help to bring the spirit ‘contact’ through. After a minute or two, contact was allegedly made and the planchette started moving. We were trying to establish who we were communicating with by means of questions

The planchette continued to move until (Med) took his finger off as he needed a rest. Immediately the contact was lost as the planchette no longer moved.

We continued regardless, giving (Med) the benefit of the doubt, but we could not make contact. (Med) rejoined and again, the planchette started moving again.

This time, by watching the hands of the others I realized that (Med) was the one making the planchette move. This I found disappointing, so I decided to sit the rest of the session out as I didn’t want to be a part of this.

Second attempt at Planchette divination
The group around the table was same as before except that (Med) replaced me at the table.

Again the planchette appeared to be manipulated by (Med). This was now clear as I was now in a better position to observe proceedings.

At this point I felt a little disheartened that people insist upon taking the limelight and trying to influence people’s way of thinking by having to do these things. I’d have been happy enough to have sat in that area and had nothing at all happen rather than watch what was rapidly turning into a circus side show.

With still plenty of time remaining and with most of us losing interest in the planchette for obvious reasons, we decided to try another table tipping session. 


First attempt at Table Tipping
The table we used was the same one we used earlier. We sat on chairs around the table, with MT(2) to my left ,(Med) opposite and (M) to my right.

We rested our hands on the table and called out again, asking questions in the hope of making contact with spirit. Again, it was clear that (Med) was influencing the movement of the table by blatantly rocking it with his hands.
I could not sit back any longer, so I voiced my opinion of the situation in a jokey way, to make everyone in the group aware of what I was seeing. 


Second and Third attempt at Table Tipping
Unfortunately, this was much the same as before, although I think that by now (Med) had realised that I was not being taken in by his parlour tricks.

(Note: I would like to just add at this point that all vigils were filmed, including the table tipping and planchette divination sessions and, upon viewing, it is clear that my concerns of (Med) influencing the ‘results’ were justified, it was as obvious as on the night of the investigation.) 


Closing Séance
We moved back down to the stage area, where we did one final vigil, a closing séance, that involved everyone (with the exception of Mark), just like the first one we did at the start of the evening.

We all formed a circle, holding hands, trying to build up some form of energy for spirit to use and try and make contact with us for the final time that night before we left.

During the séance we experienced a few cool breezes, some settling noises from the building (which were confused by some members as spirit noises) and the sound of the radiators behind the stage warming up.

As the radiators warmed up, the pipes kept making tapping and clicking sounds that some people swore was spirit, asking questions and taking the tapping sounds as responses.

Eventually we closed down the circle by doing a protection ritual before breaking the circle and finishing our investigation for the night.

All in all, it was an interesting evening and as a location I have no doubt that the theatre is one of my favourites that we have investigated so far. We would definitely visit again. 

Laura xx 



Mark’s Notes:

This was an interesting location and, like Laura, one that I would like to return to sometime in the near future.

We did find that we’d recorded a little snippet of EVP whilst we were waiting in the holding area, once we had reviewed our recordings later, but apart from what Laura picked up during the evening there was little else to report from all the images, audio and video footage that we’d recorded.

I think that it would be difficult to add to Laura’s description of events, other than to say that, from an observer’s perspective with the divination experiments, it was apparent right from the onset as to what was happening.

This was only reinforced with the viewing of our video of the evening’s events.

I also took the opportunity to video the closing séance and found this to be an interesting experience, both from the ‘suggestion’ taking place and the acceptance, without question, of every little creak and click as a direct response to the questions being asked.

After our final break we all assembled on stage at approximately 5:05am, the majority of people present now feeling the effects of staying awake throughout the night.

For those unfamiliar with such proceedings, one of our hosts kindly provided an explanation of what will be happening during the séance and what we could expect, including the useful statement that, if we felt a draft or breeze, then it was spirit moving amongst us.

Whatever happened to the good old fashioned drafty building?

The séance commenced at around 05:14am, with the usual set of questions being asked.

After about seven minutes of nothing much of interest happening, there was a distant rumble occurring a couple of seconds after a question was asked.

This was immediately taken to be a response, but Laura immediately made the valid point that it could just be the freezer on the upper corridor, that was used to store the tubs of ice cream and ice lollies sold during interval breaks during performances.

This was dismissed by the host medium (A), but Laura persisted, with (F) next to her, who was a part of our group during the divination exercises, agreeing.

From my perspective, from where I was stood filming towards the rear of the stage, the noise appeared to originate from outside the building, perhaps the rumbling of a passing truck, coming through the steel shutter stage doors to the rear of the stage.

After this excitement, the séance continued and it wasn’t long before a question was answered by some metallic sounding clicks.

Further questions were asked, with the ‘clicks’ responding with almost regular timing, coming from behind the stage curtains.

Curious as to the source, I quietly went to investigate whilst the questioning continued.

Behind the stage I found a large radiator against the rear wall, with a metal step ladder leant up against it.

I felt the radiator, which was starting to warm up. Clearly the central heating had switched on for the day, causing the ‘clicks’ to occur as the cold metal of the heating expanded.

As I was not part of the séance, I decided to return to filming and discuss what I had found with Laura once the séance had finished.

By this point the ‘clicks’ had stopped responding to the questions, presumably because by now the radiators had warmed enough and were expanding no further.

With little else happening, the séance was closed down, along with the investigation at approximately 5:34am.

Overall, an interesting experience, if perhaps, for all the wrong reasons, but enjoyable none the less. 

Mark.