IN 2023 Danny Robins asked: Do ghosts exists? And if not, why do people see them? Then 25,000 people joined him in theatres across the UK to try and find answers - turning his show Uncanny: I Know What I Saw into the biggest ever live paranormal investigation.
Based on his BBC Radio 4 podcast Uncanny, the show is written and performed by Danny, who also created The Battersea Poltergeist podcast, TV series Uncanny and hit West End play 2:22 A Ghost Story, which thrilled Alhambra audiences last week.
Billed as “a truly remarkable experience unlike any other stage show”, Uncanny: I Know What I Saw features chilling stories of supernatural encounters experienced by ordinary people, brought to life on stage with theatrical invention. Parapsychologists will analyse the chilling events with Danny, and the audience is invited to join the debate and share their own ghostly experiences.
* Danny, when did you first become interested in ghosts? “I used to hang out in the school library, poring over books like the Usborne World of the Unknown. I think part of it was because I was brought up an atheist. I became fascinated by the idea that there might be something more out there. Some people found God, I found ghosts. As I’ve got older, the idea of an afterlife captivates me more and more. The paradox at the heart of ghost stories is that they’re simultaneously scary and comforting; even the most frightening ghosts bring that hopeful prospect that death is not the end, that those we have loved and lost might still be out there or that we may be able to communicate when we pass on. Whether it’s really possible is the big question, but it feels like something well worth investigating.”
* Have you ever seen a ghost? “Never. I’ve spent most of my life desperately wanting to, but now I interview people who believe they have, I think ‘be careful what you wish for’. To have one of these experiences is life-changing, in the level of fear it can create and in the way it changes your whole concept of reality. I’m not sure I could cope with it!
*What can we expect from the show? “It’s a truly theatrical experience, more akin to stage productions of The Woman in Black or my play 2:22 A Ghost Story in terms of delivering a thrilling evening of spooky storytelling. I’ll be bringing two cases to life using the magic of the theatre, including an epic light and sound design, video projection and illusions.
“We’ll have two of our experts with us each night, one from Team Believer and one from Team Sceptic, exploring the cases and answering questions. These shows feel like a brilliant live version of conversations people have after listening to the pod, trying to work out what went on in each case, sending me questions and theories.”
* There seems to be a real appetite for the paranormal right now. Why is this? “It’s the biggest question of all, isn’t it? What happens to us when we die? It’s what every religion has attempted to answer. But I agree, there’s a particularly intense interest right now, the paranormal is being talked about in mainstream culture in a way it hasn’t for decades. There are reasons for that - the fact that we’ve been exposed to such factors as Covid, climate change and wars creeping ever closer in recent years has made us face our mortality in a way we probably haven’t since the Second World War. In the wake of both world wars, there was a boom of interest in the supernatural and I see that now too. When the world feels chaotic, uncertain, scary, we go looking for another world.”
* What cases are you exploring on stage? “One is an alleged poltergeist case about a young couple. It starts with eerie footsteps in their flat and escalates to objects flying across rooms and a frightening apparition. The second case is deeply moving. It’s about a family who lose someone close then seem to see them again, but it’s really not comforting. Since we talked about both cases on the first leg of the tour, we’ve dug out new evidence and a new witness.”
* Are you Team Believer or Team Sceptic? “I’m a sceptic who wants to believe. In my first series, Haunted, you’ll hear a more sceptical me. Having been exposed to so many unsettling, inexplicable stories, including big cases like my two other series The Battersea Poltergeist and The Witch Farm, I find it harder to dismiss the idea that there’s something strange going on. I’m unable to come up with rational answers for what witnesses tell me.”
* Your show appeals to believers and non-believers. Is that important? “It is. For too long discussions were entirely segregated. Ghost-hunting TV shows preached to the converted, camping out in ‘haunted’ castles and stately homes, getting mediums to channel spirits on demand, whilst sceptics ruthlessly debunked the idea of ghosts without taking the time to explore people’s experiences. The stories on Uncanny force both sceptics and believers to challenge their stances. Each case is a puzzle to solve. If you’re a sceptic it’s a howdunnit: could it have been caused by environmental or psychological factors? If you’re a believer it’ a whodunnit: who is the ghost and why are they haunting this place? But there’s always enough doubt, enough twists, to keep you on your toes.”
* Uncanny with Danny Robins is at the Alhambra, Saturday, June 8. Recommended age 10-plus. (01274) 432000 or bradford-theatres.co.uk
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