All theatres have their ghosts; and Perth Theatre is no exception. Stories abound of spectral sightings, eerie apparitions and ghoulish goings-on in the 114-year old venue. Now, the plucky people of Perth can join Glasgow Paranormal Investigators to explore the many mysterious tales of ghostly activity at Perth Theatre in a night full of chilling discoveries.
Part of the public campaign to raise funds for the transformation of the historic Fair City venue, fearless phantom hunters can secure their place on one of three night-time vigils with invited donations of £50 or more to the Transform Perth Theatre project.
The late night vigils will take place on Saturday 9 November and Saturday 16 November, during the run of Perth Theatre’s production of Noel Coward’s supernatural comedy Blithe Spirit. Open to everybody over the age of 16*, participants will have full use of all the ghost hunting equipment and will be guided by the experienced Glasgow Paranormal Investigators.
Since they first formed in 2008, Glasgow Paranormal Investigators have carried out hundreds of investigations in locations throughout the UK, with great results and far more activity than even they anticipated! The team is made up of professional and fully experienced investigators and they approach each search with the utmost respect and professionalism, utilising science, theory and scepticism to analyse all the evidence they obtain.
The evening will begin with a briefing on the night’s events, a demonstration of how all the equipment is used and details on the interesting experiments that will be conducted throughout the session. Participants will take part in vigils, spirit box sweeps, electromotive force sittings and electronic voice phenomenon sessions. For the very brave, there will be the option to hold a lone vigil in the dark balconies of the theatre and try to make contact with its reputed shadowy figures.
Louisa Jacobs, business development manager at Horsecross Arts, the creative organisation behind Perth Concert Hall and Perth Theatre said:
“This is a unique opportunity for theatre lovers, thrill seekers or anyone with an interest in the supernatural to see how professional paranormal investigators work, find out more about the many spooky stories connected with Perth Theatre and maybe make their own connection with the other side!
All donations received will go towards fully equipping our soon to be transformed theatre with all the fittings, furnishings and facilities that our audiences, artists and creative learning participants have come to expect and rightly deserve. As well as our comprehensive theatre, music and youth workshops programme, we run development workshops in music and drama across Perthshire particularly with vulnerable adults and young people. Local community involvement is key to the success of these projects and we are extremely appreciative of the support we have received so far.”
The stage is set for the transformation of Perth’s historic theatre with plans to be on site from early 2014.
The full £13.5 million funds for the build have already been pledged with support from project partners Perth and Kinross Council as well as The Gannochy Trust, Heritage Lottery Fund, Creative Scotland and other Trusts and Foundations. Horsecross Arts is now aiming to raise a further £1million from businesses, trusts and foundations, and through public initiatives such as the ghost vigil and the Take your Seat seat sponsorship scheme, to ensure the venue is equipped with the latest facilities ready to embark on another century of theatre in Perth.
For further information about the ghost vigils contact Louisa Jacobs on 01738 477721 or email ljacobs@horsecross.co.uk. Bookings must be made at least seven days before the selected date.
Keep up to speed on other fund raising initiatives and the transformation of Perth Theatre at www.transformperththeatre.co.uk
*Regrettably, due to the layout of Perth Theatre, the vigils may not be suitable for those with limited mobility.