Ghost Stories By Candle Light – theSpace @ Venue 45

The art of telling ghost stories has been around for many moons, made even more popular by the Victorians. There’s something about sitting in a dark room, watching a dim light flicker and hearing an old tale about ghouls and creatures of the night which is often guaranteed to send a shiver up your spine. Ghost Stories By Candle Light strive to create this very aesthetic, using a series of battery powered candles (don’t worry we know real fire can be a health and safety nightmare) horse skull masks, white sheets and some lovely Gothic attire.

Walking into the large theatre space we are met by two actors in these skull masks who wander the stage space to the rhythm of some somewhat chilling music.

The show begins and the two engage in a character discussion to set up the first story, one actor removes his mask, and we are off. The first story is a rendition of “Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come To You”, a tale of a man who finds a small metal item, and from it becomes haunted by a presence. I’m afraid to say the story fell short, with a repetitive rhythm within the story telling and bouts of narrative shouting, this one-man version of the tale felt a little lost in translation.  A set up at the back of the stage allowed for shadow puppetry (controlled by the other actor) but the shadows don’t appear all that clear and the transition into a lot of the story telling effects, consists of a very visible man slowly moving into position. Perhaps in a more intimate space they would be able to create the atmosphere needed however in the large hall of the church the pair felt very exposed; there was no hidden magic because we could see everything. The actors did pace the space with LED candles but the atmosphere a candle in the quiet creates did not come through due to the bright overhead stage light that refused to cast the much-needed shadows. The finale of the first story was lost as we saw it set up right in front of us and with no use of loud noises or jump scares, we merely saw a man in a bed sheet cower away from a large white puppet.

The second story “The Kit Bag” (originally by Algernon Blackwood) held its audience a little stronger. An interesting tale about a lawyer who helps get a murderer off trial and then tries to go on holiday, but the kit bag left for him by a colleague seems to be plagued by something dark and sinister. This story is told by our second actor who clearly has a natural knack for storytelling. Sound effects are made by our now masked first actor live in the room using wooden knickknacks and bells which is a really nice touch considering the silence of the first story. Whilst this tale does succeed in building a sense of tension it is once again let down by the lighting state. We get a really cool sequence in which the kit bag is being manipulated to move, but as we have very awkwardly seen the actor get into position to create this motion it loses its fear factor. This of course would be an easy fix with much lower lighting and the manipulation of shadows.

Over all the show is alright and has potential, but more so in a darker and more intimate venue. The use of the bright stage light hinders the horror and whilst I cannot speak for everyone I certainly did not experience any sense of fear or unease, although I cannot be sure if that is down to the show content which on the whole has potential, or the poor venue choice, either way if you enjoy a little storytelling and literature this may still be the show for you, although you won’t be having any sleepless nights afterwards.

Ghost Stories By Candle Light plays at theSpace @ Venue 45 at 22:00 from 19^th-22nd August. Buy tickets at  Ghost Stories By Candlelight | Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Reviewer: Beth Eltringham

Reviewed: 18th August 2025

North West End UK Rating: