Ghost The Musical, UK Tour Review (2024)

Reviews

25 Sept

Written by Stacy for Theatre and Tonic.

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review. All opinions are our own.

Ghost: The Musical continues its UK tour with a stop at the Darlington Hippodrome this week, delivering a mix of heart-wrenching romance and supernatural intrigue. Adapted from the iconic 1990 film, the show brings to life the touching love story of Sam and Molly, interrupted by tragedy, and their desperate attempt to reconnect beyond the veil of life and death. While the production has emotional highlights and solid performances, it does struggle in other areas.

The emotional strength of Ghost: The Musical rests on its leading actors, and John St. Clair as Sam Wheat does an adequate job portraying the turmoil of a man caught between two worlds. His chemistry with Rebekah Lowings as Molly Jensen feels sincere, with the pair successfully drawing the audience into the heartbreak of their interrupted love. Lowings’ solo, “With You,” is particularly affecting, showcasing her grief with moving vulnerability and is the stand out moment of the whole show. Jacqui Dubois, in the role of Oda Mae Brown brings the much-needed energy and humour to the production with comedic timing and stage presence that elevates Oda Mae’s scenes, especially during the crowd-pleasing number, “I’m Outta Here.” Oda Mae’s playful irreverence offers a refreshing contrast to the show’s otherwise melancholic tone.

The score by Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard features a mix of rock, pop, and ballads, though it doesn’t always hit the emotional highs of the film’s signature moments. While songs like “With You” and “Unchained Melody” resonate with the audience, other musical numbers struggle to leave a lasting impression. Some of the newer songs, such as “Here Right Now,” help drive the narrative but a slower pace to this otherwise snappy number, lacked the big rock crescendo of the original production, reducing the impact of this opening song, which was disappointing.

One of the weaker elements for me was the choreography, which felt underwhelming and at times disconnected from the emotional tone of the scenes. In a story so heavily anchored in love, loss, and the supernatural, there’s a missed opportunity to use dance to emphasise the physical and emotional space between characters, particularly Sam’s presence as a ghost. In several ensemble numbers, such as the busy street scenes in New York City or the tense confrontations between Sam and other spirits, the movement lacked impact and innovation. The choreography felt routine, literal, almost formulaic, with little to elevate the stakes or heighten the drama. Instead of contributing to the supernatural atmosphere or the narrative tension, the dance sequences jarred feeling more like filler, detracting from the otherwise impactful storytelling. Even in moments where Sam tries to interact with the physical world, the choreography feels stilted and doesn’t fully convey the sense of his struggle to exist in both worlds. In contrast, some well-executed special effects successfully convey this concept, but the movement falls short of delivering the haunting elegance that the story demands.

Another struggle was the lackluster set design, which often felt static, cheap and unimaginative. The set pieces were generic and underwhelming, with uninspired backdrops that failed to inspire the bustling energy of New York City or the haunting liminality of the afterlife. The transitions between scenes were clunky and lacked the fluidity needed to create a seamless narrative flow. Therefore, the absence of imaginative set design reduced what could be a visually captivating experience to something far more mundane.

Ghost: The Musical is a captivating revival that successfully balances the emotional depth of its narrative with the theatricality required to bring the supernatural to life bolstered mainly by memorable leading performances. While, the lackluster choreography is a noticeable flaw in this production, that fell short of making the most of its physical and supernatural storytelling potential, the emotional impact of the story remains intact, to ensure that Ghost remains a hauntingly beautiful tale of love, loss, and redemption.