Ghost The Musical
It has graced the stages of London, Manchester and even Broadway and is now back, haunting theatres around the UK and showing viewers a ghoulishly great time... but is Ghost the Musical worth the watch?
The original telling of Ghost is a classic 90s film with a storyline that epitomises the power of true love. The film, featuring the stunning actors Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, not to mention the most famous pottery wheel in history, was the highest grossing film of it’s year so it’s no surprise that the musical has also become a big hit amongst audiences worldwide.
When creating the musical adaptation, they certainly didn’t scrimp on talent. This musical version of the film was destined to be a hit with its collaboration of acclaimed writers. Adding to the talented Bruce Joel Rubin who wrote and adapted the script, we have Dave Stewart from The Eurythmics and Glen Ballard who gifted us Man In The Mirror and cowrote Alanis Morrisette’s album Jagged Little Pill, so even if you’ve never heard the music before, you can imagine the gorgeous soundtrack that fills the auditorium night after night. In this version, the vocals in the show lent themselves to a younger, pop-like ear with riffs and runs being added throughout. Even though the audience seemed to enjoy these, there’s a high risk of distracting from the storyline....any more and we’d have to rename the show 'Seyoncé'.
The stage direction of this tour has been in the hands of Bob Tomson, who you may recognise as the multi-award winning theatre director who has been producing fine work in the industry for over 40 years. His associate Jess Ellen Knight is part of the creative team alongside Lighting Designer Nick Richings, Sound Designer Dan Samson and Designer Mark Bailey.
With a sudden rise in musicals about death, this tale isn’t as morbid as it would first appear, and more than a sprinkling of comedy makes it almost light-hearted. It follows the story of Sam and Molly, long term lovers who are broken apart when Sam dies and is caught in the limbo between life and death. With help from a kooky scam artist turned medium, Sam manages to communicate with Molly to convey an all important message.
The acting, from the majority of cast members, was quite exaggerated and a subtler approach would have certainly felt more pleasant and naturalistic - well, as naturalistic as you can get whilst singing about a ghost! Although technically, everything was in place with this show, there was an underlying feeling that some depth and truth is still yet to be found with the text. Heightening the chemistry between the two leads could be an easy way to elevate this production emotively, encouraging the audience to truly keep within the show’s theme of ‘letting go.’
Reprising their roles, Rebekah Lowings stared as Molly Jenson with her heavenly vocals and Jacqui Dubois commanded the stage with her chuckle-worthy take on the wacky character Oda Mae Brown. Sometimes this psychic ‘medium’ can arrive overdone - however with Dubois’ portrayal, there’s even further to go during the vocal solos.
Our leading males consisted of Josh St Clair who served us a brilliant Sam Wheat and the villain we love to hate James Mateo-Salt as Carl Bruner. Both gentleman showcased awe-worthy vocals and a great presence. Another star is Garry Lee who played the role of ‘Subway Ghost’ and fully brought everything he could to the stage.
Acting this supernatural show seemingly came super-natural to the cast as they won over the audience with strong vocals and slick choreography. As well as the vocals which were inspiring and masterful.
The dance breaks throughout the show were choreographed by Alistair David and were clean, punchy and added a much needed, lighter amusement in between the heavy moments.
Disappointingly there were a few issues with the sound and lighting which were more than noticeable. One spotlight came up late and left Lowings briefly singing in the dark, however the most inexcusable was the ‘deathly’ quiet entrances to many lines as the microphones weren’t turned up in time. I had to suspend my disbelief at the amount of mic cues that were forgotten or late.
The fabulous cast will be heading on their way to theatres in Southampton, Canterbury and many more to continue this 2025 tour brought to the stage by Bill Kenwright. However if you’re hoping to catch it in Wimbledon then head there this week until the 9th February - blink and you’ll miss it! If you're a fan of a romantic tale of love triumphing then book right away and buckle up for the emotional rollercoaster that is Ghost the Musical.
This show was reviewed on the 4th February 2025 at the New Wimbledon Theatre. Full tour locations can be found here: Ghost the Musical 2024 & 2025 tour – Bill Kenwright Limited
Review written by Lauren Atkinson
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Photo credit: Alastair Muir
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