1 – 5 October
The appetite for stage adaptations of popular films from the 1990s shows no sign of abating. Whilst they provide audiences of a certain age the chance to nostalgically revisit some iconic celluloid classics, they also seem keen to attract a new generation of younger fans by rebooting these popular tales for theatre-going audiences. The Full Monty, Titanic, The Bodyguard and The Shawshank Redemption have all enjoyed successful national tours in the last two years, with Ghost The Musical, which originally opened in the West End in 2011, being resurrected for the first time since before the pandemic. It has been worth the wait.
The biggest-grossing film of 1990, Ghost was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, including a Best Actress gong for Whoopi Goldberg as psychic medium Oda Mae Brown. A big budget West End stage version was therefore no surprise and right from the start of tonight’s performance, the show feels and looks very much like a lavish, extravagant and visually impressive London stage show, complete with a very talented orchestra under the direction of Jordan Alexander.
Let us begin with the two leads. Rebekah Lowings and Josh St Clair are superb as ill-fated couple Molly and Sam. The two show great chemistry on stage, but it is in their renditions of some of Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard’s musical numbers where they excel, most notably Lowings, who showcases incredible depth and power in her vocal range: “With You” is genuinely very moving. And of course, The Righteous Brothers’ 1965 track “Unchained Melody”, such a key part of the film’s success and popularity, is delivered with warmth and sincerity by Lowings and St Clair during the iconic but much-parodied ‘potter’s wheel’ scene, handled sensitively here. Lowings is clearly no stranger to pottery classes either.
In a story which blends romance, crime and a healthy dose of the supernatural, comedy is provided, as in the film, by Whoopi Goldberg’s character, but this time it is Jacqui Dubois upstaging the two leads whenever she is on the stage with an energetic, exuberant and very funny performance. A talented supporting cast includes a pair of unexpected cameos from Les Dennis, who seems to be thoroughly enjoying himself whenever he appears. We asked a hundred people which much-loved TV presenter from the 1990s they least expected to see on stage in 2024. Our survey said….
This is a visually stunning show. The choreography is slick and full of energy, successfully capturing the sound and feel of corporate New York in the 1990s. Mark Bailey’s stage design is equally impressive and the whole show is beautifully lit too. The subway train scenes are particularly effective, combining movement, lighting and clever staging to great effect and allowing Garry Lee two memorable scenes as the Subway Ghost.
The use of authentic-looking body doubles for key scenes when characters die is a very clever trick, although one of these ‘transitions’ was rather clunky and poorly executed tonight: easy for the special effects teams in Hollywood; not so easy to achieve on stage. In truth, whilst there are some great numbers in the musical score, a couple of them are less than memorable and at times a little shrill. But let none of this detract from what is a very impressive and enjoyable reincarnation which will deservedly be enjoyed by Ghost fans old and new.
★★★★☆ Tony Clarke, 2 October 2024
Photo credit: Alistair Muir
