A Séance at State Library Victoria with Lawrence Leung
About this event
It's 1879 and you have been invited to a gathering to talk to the dead but will the dead talk back?
As darkness falls, join acclaimed writer, performer and State Library Victoria fellow Lawrence Leung in the majestic Ian Potter Queen's Hall for a candlelit séance inspired by Melbourne's uncanny past.
In the late 1800s, otherwise respectable Victorians gathered in darkened rooms to communicate with spirits. Scientists investigated ghosts. A future prime minister attended Spiritualist meetings. Celebrity mediums filled theatres with the promise of answers and wonder.
Drawing on his fellowship research into 19th-century mediumship in the Library's collections, Lawrence reincarnates a forgotten time of superstition and supernatural spectacle. Through historical storytelling, interactive rituals and psychological experiments, this immersive performance lecture explores a question that fascinated Victorians, and still resonates today: why do people believe?
Some willing audience members may be invited to join the circle to participate in this experience.
Plus, join in earlier for a drink and a special collection viewing of rare books and artefacts about ghost communication.
Book your tickets now.
This event is supported by the City of Melbourne Arts Grants and State Library Victoria.
Accessibility at this event
Shared by the event organiser via ATDW, where provided. Check with the organiser if you need specifics.
Public accessible toilet near Library Reserve
Library Reserve records an accessible toilet. The nearest public one outside the venue, for before you go in or when it is closed, is State Library Victoria, Melbourne, about 30 m away.
State Library Victoria · about 30 m away in a straight line
328 Swanston Street, Melbourne, VIC (community building)
Open: 10am-6pm — Closed on New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Source: the National Public Toilet Map, data as at 1 September 2026. Distances are straight-line, not the walking route, and facilities can change — check before you rely on one. Facility record
Event information courtesy of the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW).
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