Watch the podcast then read come back and read our report www.hauntedleeds.co.uk
City Varieties - by Neil Jackson
Theatres from a mediums point of view are difficult places to work; there is so much emotion in the building from the
anticipation of the audience waiting to go in to the theatre and the excitement as they take their seats. Actors with stage fright or nerves and the emotions expressed in the performance of the artists. Happiness, sadness and the exhilaration of the cast as they take their final bow and curtain calls, all this is going on. All this and couple with stress of rehearsal, theatre politics, arguments and “diva” tantrums all add to the confusion of activity. Is it any wonder that spirits and residual energy remain?
The Bar was interesting. A strong personality who was sitting at the far end of the bar gave the impression he was very important and he knew it! He would sit there and every one would have to go the full length of the bar to talk to him and he took pleasure from this.
One of the prevalent spirits was of a man from who could not breathe and was struggling to loosen his collar gasping for breath as he chocked to death.
Barrie had also picked up this spirit, unbeknown to me, but he had the impression of a man choking and falling forward and holding his throat. This spirit seemed to be mainly in the theatre but followed us about for a while.
We found out later that someone had actually committed suicide by hanging himself from one of the balconies.
From the stage I was drawn to the stairs at the far end of the theatre a dark shadowy figure stood on them for a brief moment coming from the bar and going up the stairs to the balcony.
Later several of the team felt this presence but when we did investigate the stairs he or she was gone and nothing could be felt.
There was definitely more there but without a full team investigation to build up the energy and the limited time to investigate fully we were content to just sit back and watch the show. KAPS Haunted Nights hope to return to the City Varieties when refurbishments are completed.