The popular romantic thriller film from 1990, Ghost, has been adapted into a musical. This current production takes to the stage in Birmingham for the week.
Sam and Molly are a young couple with their lives and many adventures ahead of them. All this changes with Sam’s untimely death. Trapped between two worlds Sam enlists the help of psychic Oda May Brown to contact Molly. Can they both move on and find happiness again?
Although songs and dances have been added, the musical remains pretty much faithful to the film, the favourite moments are all there. The characters are faithful to the original without trying to imitate the film’s stars, each member of the cast make the roles their own.
The standout performance of the night was Rebekah Lowings as Molly. She pulled out every emotion as the story unfolded. Her singing was faultless, hitting the notes with power, consistency and clarity time after time, but there were also gentle and tender moments. The difficult job of portraying a ghost (Sam) for the majority of the show is undertaken by Josh St Clair. He embodies the spirit of a ghost trying to come to terms with his loss of life, his new reality and the heartbreak of not being able to touch or talk to the love of his life. His frustration and pain are palpable. The depth of the relationship and heartbreak of the two leads is totally believable. There are many moments that had the audience reaching for their tissues. I am sure by the end there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
Oda Mae Brown (Jacqui Dubois) provides a light relief between the heart wrenching scenes with perfect timing and comedic facial expressions, her song was also a joy. There were a number of smaller parts working together to create the story, the Subway Ghost (Garry Lee) was an ominous presence that is hard to forget with a number very different from all of the others. Clara and Louise (Tanisha Butterfield and Keiahna Jackson-Jones) – Oda Mae’s sisters also deserve a mention for their “Are you a Believer?” number. The ensemble feature in numerous songs and play a range of characters throughout.
The songs, except for Unchained Melody are all original and written by Bruce Joel Rubin, Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard. While you may not walk out of the theatre humming them, they add to the storytelling. Rather than being a song or a dance for the sake of it, the numbers provide a chance to get deep into the emotions of the characters.
The scenery is used to good effect with efficient changes between scenes and creating locations with minimal set pieces. The subway train is especially effective and an ingenious way of putting this onto a stage.
What really brings the set and the show to life is the lighting by Nick Richings. Sam is lit with subtle illumination that distinguishes him from the rest of the cast. Clever use of dark areas at key moments enables surprises to occur. Some say you shouldn’t notice the lighting, but in this show, it was one of the main players working to brilliant effect.
Ghost the Musical is an emotional evening’s entertainment with beautiful performances throughout. A standing ovation from the audience shows this is as popular as ever. Do whatever you can to get a ticket but take plenty of tissues!
Reviewer: Annette Nuttall
Reviewed: 1st April 2025
North West End UK Rating:
Rating: 4 out of 5.
