There was a general buzz in the audience, an undercurrent of expectancy and a definite air of excitement that was both infectious and somehow reassuring.
The stage at Alban Arena was a simple setting of a black starlit backdrop with sidelights of calming blue within in which a screen neatly fitted, with the words An Evening Of Clairvoyance With Tony Stockwell.
There was no drama or drum roll when the internationally famous psychic and medium arrived on stage and the capacity audience greeted him like a familiar and much-loved friend.
And his cheeky chappy image and banter belied the fact that in just a few moments he would be claiming to speaking to spirits. Stockwell keeps the house lights up during the whole of his performance – no dodgy half light or weird shadows here, in fact no effects at all – apart from his own mesmerising persona.
I found it hard to take my eyes off medium Tony as he continually apparently welcomed in a stream of spirit visitors. He seemed to be dealing with a polite rugby scrum from the other side that could hardly wait to get through.
Occasionally you could hear Tony chiding them gently – "wait a minute, darling", "Yes, yes, I can hear you" and even "Don't do that now, do something nice" as he carefully tries to place them all with a link in the expectant audience.
Each living person who claims a link is given a microphone and their image projected onto the stage screen and they are encouraged to work with Stockwell if they so wish, to make the link stronger and establish the details correctly.
I wanted to see what he could see, a little brown dog with a star on its forehead, belonging to the spirit who had come through. The dog was immediately linked to the person Tony was already talking to in the audience who had given him no information at all about any pets and was originally "talking" to her husband.
At times it seemed that the whole audience was completely tuned in with Stockwell, and he does have his own huge following, with people who travel around the country when he's on tour.
He is quick to point out that links are always stronger when the audience is "with" him and actively asks for help in concentrating to keep the links coming through – although there never seemed to be a shortage of spirits seeking to reassure their loved ones on this side that they were safe and well.
Stockwell starts his performance by saying that he rarely has any problems with his spirit friends – it's only the living who cause him grief.
He is reluctant sometimes to use the information given, in case it is an embarrassment to the recipient but coyly passes on what he knows, often causing gales of laughter.
One granny came through along with her daughter to visit the four family members in the audience who had clearly identified their mother.
Tony was clearly embarrassed but felt he had to mention the most clearly identifiable part of granny who wasn't very tall but had "big boobies" he said.
The family collapsed with laughter and said granny was more "boobies" than anything else.
Another spirit came through, that of a young boy killed in car crash. Tony gave some accurate descriptions of the crash and the weather conditions at the time, the injuries suffered and a clear name for this boy who was only 18.
He was immediately identified by his mother who confirmed every single fact that Stockwell came out with.
Detailed descriptions of objects that had been placed in the coffin were described in detail along with the injuries from the crash and other personal memories also turned out to be 100 per cent accurate.
How the bereaved mum held out I don't know but it was an obvious comfort to her.
There was one particularly astounding reading where, having gone through many accurate details in talking to a woman whose life had been very complicated, he then proceeding to say in a rather embarrassed way, that he could feel he was "towing a dead animal behind him" and that it was a rather large carcass.
He imparted this with a good deal of humour and asked if her spirit partner had been, for instance, a farmer.
The woman immediately said no. She then thought for a few seconds with a rather puzzled look before an enormous smile lit up her face and she remembered that very early on in their relationship, many, many years ago they had procured a calf from an abattoir for their freezer and had to bring this home in the back of their car.
Of course not every link was as strong - a young boy who was desperately seeking his mother just couldn't communicate quite well enough and a woman who was determined to get through and had apparently resorted to all sorts of tricks to be noticed.
Stockwell had obviously had this visitor before and told us that he had no intention of letting her through tonight as we were so busy and he knew for fact that he had a hard time getting rid of her.
He added that he knew this particular visitor well and was obviously sure there would be no link for her here.
Some spirits were very chatty indeed, letting through facts that were undisputable to the recipients and after some time they would have to be gently chided and reminded they were in a queue here and Stockwell would thank them and have to sever the link.
He worked hard through the whole evening, walking as he talked, his eyes rolled upwards with only the whites visible at times, clearly concentrating on his connection and after each link, mopping his eyes ready for the next visitor.
There were only two or three spirits that could not be placed and when this happened the spirit was asked to try again and Tony seamlessly moved on as he spoke to his unseen crowd with words of "thank you" and "oh, well done"".
He wasn't shy, either, about being wrong or misplacing, asking for complete honestly from any recipient and insisted that they should say no if he was wrong about something.
He was clear, precise, and seemingly totally honest and certainly riveting to watch.
Find out all about Tony Stockwell and where he's on tour by clicking herePsychic Derek Acorah appears at Alban Arena on Friday, November 30.Click here for Alban Arena website