It’s hard to believe that it is 34 years since we first saw ‘that’ scene with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze that brought a whole new meaning to a potter’s wheel. The suggestive use of a lump of wet clay certainly features in the stage musical adaptation which first appeared in 2011, but the show’s book by Bruce Joel Rubin makes sure that it is memorable for a lot more reasons.
This return of Bill Kenwright’s international touring production from 2018 is directed by Bob Tomson, and he ensures that it has a good dramatic arc rather than feeling like a sequence of set pieces, as could easily be the case.
If, musically, the show is something of a patchwork quilt, there is a pleasing thread of bluesy indulgence that runs through Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard’s score and, while Unchained Melody does put in a couple of appearances, it is far from the musical highlight of the evening, as there are some very nicely written numbers scattered throughout the narrative.
And that narrative is well delivered, with good, even pacing and a lot of clarity, thanks in no small part to the exemplary sound design by Dan Samson, which balances the voices and the band with real skill.
Sam Wheat and Molly, played here by Josh St. Clair and Rebekah Lowings (the latter reprising her role from the 2018/19 tour) have not long moved into their dream apartment when Sam stumbles over a fraud being perpetrated at work and the fallout from this discovery gets him murdered by a hired killer masquerading as a mugger. Sam’s unquiet spirit, unable to accept that he is dead, haunts Molly and the apartment, and he swiftly discovers that his co-worker Carl was behind his murder and is now making moves on Molly. He enlists the help of a slightly dodgy medium Oda Mae Brown to make contact with Molly and warn her of the danger she is in.
Lowings and St. Clair make a very strong central pairing and clearly believe both in their characters and the supernatural situation they find themselves in. James Mateo-Salt has just the right blend of clean cut All-American appeal and creepiness for the scheming Carl. However, much as with Whoopi Goldberg in the film, it is Jacqui Dubois who becomes the frequent scene-stealer as Oda Mae, the medium who thought she was a fake but suddenly finds to her alarm that she really can talk to the dead.
There are some great supporting performances, notably from Garry Lee as the genuinely terrifying subway ghost in a couple of the show’s most effective pieces of stagecraft. On press night Jamie Pritchard took the parts of Hospital Ghost and Lionel Ferguson, the former being the first character to explain to Sam what is happening to him. Les Dennis will appear in these roles on Friday and Saturday during the Liverpool run.
In an era where many touring musicals rely heavily on video projections to create much of the scenic design, it is nice to see a production that uses a lot of traditional, physical set, keeping the fly operators busy during this show. Mark Bailey’s designs move us swiftly between scenes, with the loft apartment and the subway being particularly effective.
Whilst the musical numbers can at times feel a little shoehorned into the plot, they are nonetheless very well delivered by a hugely talented cast and band, but it is the excellent, lucid storytelling and a central couple who we actually care about that really win the day.
Ghost the Musical plays Liverpool Empire until 7th September with tickets available here, and it then continues its UK tour with a further 11 venues booking through to December.
Star rating: 4 stars
This review was originally written for publication by Good News Liverpool
Production photography by Alastair Muir
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| Josh St. Clair, Rebekah Lowings & James Mateo-Salt as Sam, Molly and Carl |
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| The cast of Ghost the Musical |
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| Jacqui Dubois & Josh St. Clair as Oda Mae and Sam |
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| James Mateo-Salt & The Cast of Ghost The Musical |
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