A Ghost In Your Ear
To transport an audience into a truly effective ghost story on stage is perhaps one of the most challenging feats. Recently, audiences have been treated to many shows with varying results. Most recently, I attended the visually arresting but juvenile Paranormal Activity and wondered if I’d become bored of the genre. It’s with great pleasure, then, that Jamie Armitage’s frighteningly fun A Ghost in Your Ear proves to be one of the most original takes on the genre that I’ve seen in quite some time.
Much like the theatrical version of Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black, the show has a “story within a story” structure. George is a jobbing actor who arrives late to a recording studio after booking the job to record a ghost story. He has not seen the script and knows very little about the job.
After being greeted by sound engineer Sid, played with an initially comedic nuance by Jonathan Livingston, George starts to realize that the true haunting lies beyond the page, as reality becomes warped and the line between fiction and truth blurs. While this premise lacks originality, it more than makes up for it in innovation and flair.
In collaboration with sound designers Ben and Max Ringham, the play uses binaural sound technology to create horror that is 360 degrees. This is achieved by having the audience wear headphones. A recent example of this technique was seen in the Donmar Warehouse’s production of Macbeth starring David Tennant. Initially, I was nervous that this would be a gimmick; however, you quickly forget about it, and having the sound of a ghostly whisper, a creaky floorboard in your left ear, or the faint footstep behind you really does add to the immersion. Secondly, and perhaps most effectively, it allows for variety in the actors’ performances and the ability to go small when the drama requires it.
As a piece of storytelling, Armitage economically paces proceedings—and all the better for it. Having scored a big hit with his previous outing The Interrogation and having co-directed Six The Musical, to my great surprise, Armitage demonstrates a keen understanding of the horror genre. He knows that horror works best when the audience has time to believe in its location, characters, and ideas before the scares kick off. The ghost story in question has a Shirley Jackson elegance which truly captivates you and brings you along for the ride. As stated previously, I believe that horror on stage has become somewhat sedated recently, but A Ghost in Your Ear brings the scares in high quantity.
Yes, there are some jump scares; however, Armitage’s direction relies on creating a strong sense of tension and build-up so that the inevitable jolt is earned.
Being only a two-hander, the play mostly rests on the shoulders of George Blagden, who plays the actor in question and unwittingly becomes the main character in a ghost story of his own. Blagden brings confidence to his role as storyteller, making you hang onto his every word. He is also a master at negotiating the twists and turns of his character’s journey, creating a fully believable arc. Highly commendable work.
Yes, there are aspects that I have tiny quibbles about—mostly the fact that, at times, I found its inspiration from The Woman in Black a little too close for my liking (an actor becoming the centre of the ghost story, the horror infiltrating the performance space)—but that comes secondary to a truly effective chiller. Running at a brisk and pacy 90 minutes, Armitage deserves huge credit for his taut and terrifying writing here. I must also credit the sterling lighting design by Ben Jacobs, who subtly draws you in as he reveals the horrors to come.
With storytelling at the heart of the experience, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was just the beginning of this immersive and fitfully fun production. Horror is alive and whispering at the Hampstead Theatre.
This show was reviewed on 8th January 2026 at Hampstead Theatre (Downstairs), London where it runs until the 31st January 2026. Tickets available here: A GHOST IN YOUR EAR - Hampstead Theatre
Review written by Alex Farley
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Photo credit: Marc Brenner
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