'Unexplained Shadow Figures' Caught on Camera in Norfolk Theater, Say Investigators

The shadows can be seen flitting from left to right through the windows inset in the doors. (Ghosted UK)

United Kingdom paranormal investigative group Ghosted UK posted a video to their YouTube channel April 30th that they claim shows “unexplained shadow figures” flitting across a set of windows inset in the doorway to St. George’s Theatre in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England.

Ghosted UK members Tim Johnson, Annabelle Barnes, and Amanda Esherwood were joined by 10 members of the public who purchased tickets for the investigation; all proceeds from the ghost hunt went to benefit St. George's Theatre.

"I haven't got a clue what they are but it definitely isn't the shadow of people because you would have seen somebody walk in front of the window," Johnson told Eastern Daily Press. "It is really exciting and we want to go back again to explore the building further. At the minute it remains unexplained."

The video shows what appear to be black silhouettes moving quickly from left to right behind the doors.

Reactions to the video have been mixed, but some speculate that the “shadow figures” could just be the reflection of someone off-camera showing in the glass.

“It could be reflections in the glass,” Singular Fortean Society lead investigator Tobias Wayland said. “I’d need more information, but somebody off-camera to the viewer’s left could be walking around and reflecting in the door glass. Hopefully they accounted for that and tried to recreate the effect.”

Night vision cameras are a regular piece of equipment for Ghosted UK, along with motion detectors and voice recorders—it is not clear why the lights were left on for this recording, although it likely came from a CCTV camera set up by the team.

"When we host our events we make sure we have lots of cameras set-up and monitor the CCTV closely to make sure we don't miss anything," Johnson said.

Similarly unknown is if the group attempted to recreate the effect by having someone walk off-camera and catch their reflection in the glass.

Johnson has another theory. He believes it’s possible that a cellar might have existed in that spot at one time, and the ghostly figures were simply using a feature of the building that no longer exists.

"We spend a lot of time doing background research on a building to see if we can predict anything we might encounter," he said. "A cellar nearby could explain it."

A 2013 investigation done by Hopton Ghosthunters following reports from theater staff of "lights flickering and people sensing they weren’t in the building alone" failed to turn up any evidence, although that team ultimately concluded the activity experienced was "residual".

The Singular Fortean Society found no other information regarding any reported paranormal activity in the building.

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