It's hard to believe that it's been 34 years since the iconic scene with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze was introduced to our worlds. From that moment on, a potters wheel was never seen in the same way again. However, it may have lingered in our brains like a ghost, but Ghost the Musical is back on stages to wow and impress audiences around the country.
Since it's original outing on the stage in 2011, this show has had some minor reworks. And now with an expanded book by original creator Rubin, audiences are falling in love (and bawling their eyes out) all over again to this touching retelling of the film that won over so many hearts originally.
The show tells the story of Molly and Sam who feel that their life is going all too well. Their life is changed forever when Sam is murdered. Whilst Sam is trapped between life and what comes after, he must resolve his unfinished business and save Molly (literally) with the help of some new friends along the way. The story is translated in such a beautiful way to the stage that there are moments that you forget that you already know how the story will end. It's worth noting that aspects of the story have been modernised (mobile phones, recent dates etc) to bring it up to speed, but the heard and spirit of the show is still woven throughout the entirety of it.
Whilst Unchained Melody is the soundtrack to the original, it's not a song that is blasted throughout the two hours of the show. It's cleverly placed at key points throughout to give nods to the story for the audience to enjoy and appreciate. It's worth noting that this show is full of killer ballads and I adored the soaring harmonies and swooping orchestration. I also loved some of the big musical moments such as Oda Mae's I'm Outta Here that gave the right level of humour to balance out the rest of the show.
The staging led to some pretty clever on stage trickery and I loved the way that they used lighting throughout to separate the present with the afterlife. The simpleness of different lights was all that was needed to really make the impact. I also really thought the way that characters moved from the present to the afterlife was a clever use of on stage trickery as ensemble members moved in perfectly timed to take characters places. The impact of the staging during the subway scenes was a particular highlight and worked incredibly well. It's always hard to move a show from a fixed production to a touring one, and whilst there were some empty spaces on the stage, I feel they did a fantastic job of transporting us to their world.
The cast was headed up by Rebekah Lowings and Josh St. Clair as Molly and Sam. Both with such incredible on stage chemistry that truly showcased their talents. The emotion, power, sincerity, and passion in their voices just perfectly fit the characters that they were portraying. Lowing's solo songs were just perfect to showcase her incredible vocal range and left me with goosebumps throughout whilst St. Clair truly won the audience over as the emotive Sam, especially as he worked his way across the real world from his own.
Jacqui Dubois stepped into the role of Oda Mae Brown, the (not so) psychic who is destined to help Sam find his way to Molly and communicate with her. I adored her portrayal of Oda Mae and loved the humour that she injected into this story. She honestly stole every scene that she was in, especially in Act 2. Les Dennis makes a couple of notable appearances as the hospital ghost and Lionel Ferguson, the ghost being a particularly great role. Whilst James Mateo-Salt stepped into the role of Carl and brought the villanesque character to life with menace, vocal range, and physical theatre that left the audience booing during the curtain call.
Whilst it's safe to say that Ghost the Musical isn't a fresh and groundbreaking show, it's a show that has taken a classic film and turned it into a show that can stand on it's own two feet. Whether you have seen the original, or are new to the show, it's an emotional rollercoaster that will have you close to tears (or crying in some cases) by the end of it. With an incredible cast and a swooping soundtrack this show is packed full of spirit and will have the audience close to tears.
On at the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre until 14th September, and then continuing on a UK Tour, you can find more information below:
Ghost the Musical - Bournemouth Pavilion
Ghost the Musical - UK Tour
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