The night I learned the meaning of stage fright

HOW would you like to go on a ghost hunt?" asked the man from Glasgow's Theatre Royal. At first I thought he was about to invite me to see that Scooby Doo stage show.

But I soon realised he wasn't talking about chasing cartoon ghosts in white sheets - he meant real ones.

He said that Most Haunted-style investigators Spiritfinders Scotland were spending a night at the theatre armed with an array of ghost-detecting machines as well as a human one, spiritual medium Michael Mulgrew.

They wanted to make contact with the unearthly visitors who have been reported at the Hope Street building, parts of which date back almost 150 years.

And I've always fancied myself as a bit of an Yvette Fielding from TV show Most Haunted - without the unflattering night-vision camera - so I agreed to go along.

The Spiritfinders team were also joined by a dozen brave theatre staff.

Our exploration began on the theatre's balcony.

Immediately, 46-year-old Michael, from Edinburgh - who is never told where he is going beforehand so sceptics can't claim he's done research - sensed an unearthly visitor.

"Somebody called Archie," he said. "He's intrigued to see why there are so many people standing here. It's a fireman. He's trying to tell me something. He died trying to save someone else."

A shiver of excitement ran up my spine.

Michael had met one of the theatre's most talked-about ghosts.

According to Evening Times cuttings, fire brigade sub-officer, Archibald McLay, 35, fell through the burning floor during a blaze in November 1969 and drowned in the foam that had been pumped into the building.

He's now said to manifest in the orchestra pit in his uniform, terrifying musicians.

But things got even more spooky when, as it approached midnight, we moved backstage - and turned out the lights.

Michael picked up the spirit of somebody called Calum Kennedy, who he thought might be the late Scots singer who performed at the theatre.

So the team decided to have a chat. Yes, they say they can speak to the dead, using Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP).

"This is the thing that will convince you," Spiritfinders leader David Anderson, 44, from Shieldhall, told me.

They claim certain recording devices pick up high frequencies humans can't hear, including the voices of spirits - though sceptics say it's merely background noise.

David shouted out: "We are a team from Spiritfinders Scotland. We mean you no harm. Can you give us your name please?"

Silence.

"How old are you?"

Silence.

"Did you die here, or are you visiting?"

No sound could be heard - by my ears anyway - between each question.

But when they played back the recording, the experts claimed to hear a ghostly voice calling somebody "a witch".

Me? I couldn't make out a thing.

But one of the female theatre staff revealed she once played a witch in that theatre (in the Scottish Play', of course) so asked our new friend, while the tape was recording: "Was I playing a witch?"

Again no answer could be heard - until David played the recording back.

And what it revealed made me quiver like Scooby Doo when he sees a ghost.

A crackly male voice could clearly be heard saying the words "not playing a witch".

Zoinks! I wanted to jump into somebody's arms, just like Scooby.

Had they really recorded the voice of a dead person?

And what happened next convinced me the team were not just playing Ghostbusters.

We headed to the Upper Circle, where Michael stood in the front row, lit only by our torches.

"A female fell from here," he said. "She doesn't leave. She's traumatised by people not believing in her. I wouldn't be surprised if people hear her crying out. And I have two heartbeats - she was pregnant."

Indeed stories say this ghost, Nora, was a cleaner and aspiring actress during Victorian times but jumped to her death - while pregnant - apparently after an affair with a theatre manager.

Using his powers, Michael helped her to "move on".

And as dawn arrived it was time for us to leave too.

Though some staff were still sceptical, nobody could explain the voice recordings, or Michael's apparent contact with the fireman and actress.

But I was convinced the spirits present that night were not just in the theatre bar.