Ghost: In Concert, Adelphi Theatre Review
Reviewed by Philip for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Based on the hit 1990 film starring Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze, Ghost returns to the West End stage but this time in a concert setting.
With book and lyrics by Bruce Joel Rubin and music and lyrics by Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard, Ghost The Musical premiered in Manchester in 2011 before taking London by storm the following year. We meet Molly and Sam in the middle of their love story. A young couple full of love and ready for a future together. Tragedy strikes after an evening out as Sam is murdered leaving Molly alone. That however is where the story really begins as Sam is trapped in limbo, unable to move to the afterlife. He is worried for Molly and quickly learns he has every reason to be. With the help of psychic Oda Mae Brown, he sets out to save Molly from the danger she finds herself in. ‘Ghost’ is a brilliant love story full of grief, sorrow and anger with a good helping of love and hope too.
Being a concert production there are limitations to what can be achieved in terms of staging, set and illusion, however, that didn’t stop this production. Video was used to great affect taking us from one scene to the next. Jon Driscoll’s design was exceptional. It brought the production to life without the need for scenery and set pieces. Unlike the original production, the illusions were lacking but Ben Cracknell’s lighting design did a brilliant job of masking this. We were often treated to dazzling lights to mask a magically element which were utterly beautiful. The lights were bold and bright and helped to create a supernatural feel for the piece. The level of content that went into the technical design of the show was immense and should be highly commended.
The central performances by Lucie Jones as Molly and Oliver Tompsett as Sam were out of this world. They both have incredible voices and are both such endearing performers. Jones was vulnerable and lost as Molly. Every word made the audience feel for her. Her rendition of ‘With You’ was hauntingly beautiful. Tompsett gave Sam a steely determination and found the humour in the lighter moments with Oda Mae Brown. Tompsett was strong yet sensitive. He like Jones has an outstanding voice. Their reunion at the end was especially touching. You could feel the chemistry. Both Jones and Tompsett are a credit to the art of musical theatre and acting in general. Bravo! Moya Angela was hilarious as Oda Mae Brown. Every scene she was in she stole one way or another. A talented performer indeed. David Seadon-Young and Sam MacKay played the villains of the piece, Carl and Willie respectively. They were admirably bad. You were rooting for their comeuppance, so when it came it was glorious.
One thing I found somewhat off putting in this performance was the use of an iPad on stage to help with lines. I do appreciate this was a concert version and it was rehearsed in under a week, however, you could occasionally see the script being directly read from the iPad which took me away from the action and reminded me I was sat in a theatre. I wish I could have stayed immersed in this epic story.
The music and lyrics are one of its greatest attractions. They are simply beautiful. Stewart, Ballard and Rubin’s words and melodies leave you with some delightful tunes as you leave the theatre. Coupled with some of the best voices in the West End and beyond, Ghost definitely leaves you wanting to hear the music again and again. With such great music though, sometimes concert versions aren’t as perfect as the original. In places, the music seemed to end quite abruptly or didn’t quite cover a scene change which was a shame. There were also songs that were excluded from this version. They would have made the storytelling more succinct and could potentially have made some of the scene changes more clean.
Compared to concert versions of other musicals I have seen, Ghost was extremely well put together especially when you factor in such a short rehearsal period. If anything it makes me hunger for Ghost to return to the West End as a full production. It has been such a long lonely time without it.
Ghost the Musical in Concert was performed at the Adelphi Theatre on 1st October 2024
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
