Format: Psychic Show
Genre: Psychic Show
Date: April 5 2019
Location: Epstein Theatre, Liverpool
The Epstein Theatre was abuzz as we arrived for a one-night-only evening with Derek Acorah. Back in his hometown of Liverpool, his audience is a mix of age groups, including those hoping he has a message from a loved one, and friends and family that are sceptical but have come along for the event.
Dramatic music starts, the lights go down and you feel like you are sitting in a major exhibition or event centre. Derek joined the stage to very excited applause from the now-mixed gender and age audience.
One man with a guide from the spiritual world took to the stage, joining a lonely table with water and tissues. These tissues got an awful lot of attention through the proceedings, with various nose and brow-wiping incidents, which became slightly disconcerting.
Derek set the scene, and his demeanour is fun and engaging with the crowd. He is personable and, with a smile, puts the audience at ease as to how the process works. Attendees didn’t have long to wait before the stage (albeit not visible to the audience) filled with people waiting to pass on messages.
It would be inappropriate to review the messages passed. However, across part one, there were a number of people that he connected with, and the participants in the audience seemed intrigued and delighted with the message that has come through.
The spirits of loved ones following some people home or visiting them recently, and the potential smell of flowers for one receiver when she got home that night, all left the audience wondering if the messages were real and would be realised later on.
Others in the audience were not so believing, and the conversation at the break was one of extremes. A lady that had seen him many times and was desperate for a message from her dearly-departed husband, and another lady seemed a little concerned about the vagueness of the messages, and the continued requirement of Derek for the receiver of the message to confirm elements of his message to him as he went on. The messages in part could have been for a number of people in the room ; you could read in to some (not all) of the messages and relate them to yourself, should you be desperate enough for a message.
Part two continued in the same excited manner, with a snazzy stripy jacket change for Derek. The audience were now buzzing with anticipation, as this was the last chance to see if they would be a lucky receiver of a message. Derek didn’t disappoint a few members of the audience, giving them things they wanted to hear, albeit this time with some confusion.
Many ooo’s and ahh’s later in the evening came to a rather abrupt end, as Derek announced that his guide said there is no one left in the queue. But wait, there was one more visitor to the stage, as a final message was passed, and with a song in the message, the receiver was absolutely convinced that the message was for her, and it would seem the gentleman alongside her.
One leaves with mixed emotions, and a feeling that it is definitely a relative experience. On the one hand, you feel it gives people hope and a feeling of peace at heart that their loved ones have spoken, but on the other hand, you are left wondering if it was real or if it was just taking advantage of the potentially vulnerable.
Whichever side of the spiritual fence you sit on, it was definitely a strange but fun evening with a bit of adrenaline thrown in, as you sat wondering whether the next message would be for you.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10 – Good