CityLife

Coliseum raises the spirits - on and off stage

SPOOKY GOINGS ON: Coliseum

TALK about life imitating art. Since rehearsals for the Coliseum’s next production Blithe Spirit began, there have been several unexplained incidents around the theatre (cue windows opening voluntarily and gusts of wind chilling the spine!).

Whether it’s the ghostly nature of the play, or rumours that the Coliseum will be moving location, something is clearly rousing the spirits.

So the sleuths at the theatre have called in local group Ghostly Encounters to carry out some investigations around the building, which dates back to 1885.

Oldham Coliseum has a history of hauntings, having previously appeared on Living TV’s Most Haunted.

Most famously, it is said that actor Harold Norman haunts the circle, following his accidental death in 1947 when he was stabbed during a scene in Macbeth.

Although the sprits of the Coliseum have been rather quiet in the past year, during the last few weeks, there have been several accounts from staff of strange goings on around the theatre.

Last week, a member of the lighting and sound department was in the auditorium when he noticed a smartly dressed figure wearing a cravat some distance away.

Assuming it was front of house manager, David Rustidge he turned around to greet him, but the figure had disappeared.

Spectre

When he spoke with David later, David confirmed he hadn’t been in the auditorium… but somebody had! When he had listened to the description of the spectre, David confirmed that it sounded like the spirit of Carl Paulsen, who worked at the theatre from 1958 -1973. 

So to get to the bottom of these apparitions, Ghostly Encounters will be staying overnight July 18 to try to connect with the spirits that roam the theatre.

Colin McClure, a representative at Ghostly Encounters said: “We are extremely excited and privileged to be invited to conduct a paranormal investigation.

History

“This building has a fantastic history and is believed to be steeped in paranormal activity and apparitions which have become more common recently. This is a great opportunity for us to conduct an investigation in our home town and invite local people to participate in this thrilling event."

To find out more about the investigation, contact the Coliseum’s Marketing Office on 0161 624 1731.

Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit runs at Oldham Coliseum from Thursday, May 14 until Saturday, June 6 and recounts the story of novelist Charles who is inadvertently reconnected with his dead first wife during a séance, which leads to hilarious consequences.

For tickets, contact the box office on 0161 624 2829 or book online at www.coliseum.org.uk.