Genuine scares and some slick theatrics make for a brilliantly entertaining and spine-chilling evening of the supernatural in the aptly named Ghost Stories.
Touring after a West End residency and associated film, this is a well-honed show that is not for the faint-hearted.
The detailed plot is a secret so as not to spoil the fun, but suffice to say things get very strange as the audience settles in for a talk on unexplained phenomenon by Professor Goodman (played with a slight glint by Dan Tetsell).
He introduces the unsettling recollections of a night-watchman (David Cardy, who pitches his plain-talking character just right to flit between funny and fear), a teenage boy (a suitably nervous Eddie Loodmer-Elliott), and a businessman (an in-form Clive Mantle, suitably wired as the City guy with too much going on).
It’s a superbly plotted and executed piece with Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman’s story given full effect by Jon Bausor’s clever set and costumes and special effects by Scott Penrose. There is never a wasted moment and the backstage effort matches the on-stage talent in keeping the pace up.
The show is scary: I had people around me literally jumping out of their seats, when they weren’t nervously laughing in anticipation of the next twist.
It’s an incredibly enjoyable watch and the kind of experience you can only get through live theatre: the collective experience of being entranced and toyed with. Don’t miss this chance to be scared silly.
- Ghost Stories is at Norwich Theatre Royal until 19 April 2025 then touring nationally.
