Book & Lyrics: Bruce Joel Rubin
Music & Lyrics: Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard
Director: Bob Tomson
Reviewer: Christine Stanton
“Cozy Classic, But Lacking Energy”
3.5 / 5
Ghost has been a cozy classic since it was first released in the 90s – selling out cinemas and pottery studios worldwide, standing the test of time as a romantic go to. The musical debuted in 2011 and has since done various UK and international tours.
Following the movie plot pretty much to the letter – Sam (Josh St. Clair) and Molly (Rebekah Lowings) are wildly in love – though he scarcely tells her. Recently moving into a brownstone in Brooklyn and excelling in their careers, the pair are on top of the world. One night walking home from a date, Sam is attacked and brutally killed – though his ghost lives on to avenge his death and ensure Molly stays safe from his killer who’s still out for blood. Stumbling across psychic Oda Mae Brown (Jacqui Dubois), he is overjoyed that someone can hear him, so he can finally relay his messages back to Molly and hopefully pass onto the other side in peace.
This musical adaptation is an enjoyable one that, full disclaimer, unexpectedly actually made me cry! The poignant moments between Sam and Molly are portrayed tenderly by St. Clair and Lowings, creating some beautifully touching interactions that really pull on the heartstrings. That being said, the production as a whole doesn’t quite fully hit the mark, at points feeling a little more tired and outdated than expected – much of which can be contributed to the overall low-energy of the show. It’s a very slow start, and it’s only really with the introduction of Oda Mae Brown that it starts to pick up due to her humorous role and bigger personality. Some of the iconic scenes such as the pottery wheel, are quite muted, and there are a lot of moments throughout the production where it feels like the cast and ensemble are almost going through the motions rather than fully engaging with the story and bringing it to life.
In fact, there are quite a lot of points where the show feels as though it would benefit more as a play rather than a musical – Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard’s music and lyrics are nice enough, but not very memorable, and at points halts the emotions and momentum that is previously built, with a song and dance (choreographed by Alistair David) injected that has no real baring on the scene, nor really adds anything of merit. St. Clair, Lowings, Dubois and Mateo-Salt are talented performers though, and do their best to perk up the show as a whole. Dubois in particular completely shines in her role as Oda Mae, excellently timing her comedic outbursts for full impact.
Outside of the poignant scenes, one of the main highlights is Mark Bailey’s design, Nick Riching’s lighting and Richard Pinner’s illusions, which brilliantly add the air of supernatural, as well as the sprawling New York city feel. The moments where ghosts are created are fantastically and swiftly done, adding an element of magic to the production, helping the audience to be fully drawn in and invested.
At times, Ghost the Musical feels almost haunted by the immense success of the movie – an enjoyable show, though considering it is such a large scale production, I hungered for a touch more to really possess the enchanting musical spirit it deserves.
Runs until 8th February 2025 then continues to tour
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