After touring the UK and around the world, Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman's Ghost Stories has returned to haunt the West End at the Peacock Theatre, and it's lost none of its power to shock and unsettle.
This is theatre that holds your attention and doesn't let go for ninety intense minutes. Following Professor Goodman, a sceptic determined to debunk the paranormal, we're taken through three supposedly supernatural encounters that challenge everything he believes. Without giving away any of the carefully guarded secrets (and there are plenty), I can say that each story builds tension beautifully before delivering genuine scares that had the entire audience jumping in their seats.
What makes Ghost Stories so effective is how cleverly it uses the theatre space itself. Jon Bausor's set design and James Farncombe's lighting work together to create an atmosphere of creeping dread. Just when you think you know where the next scare is coming from, the production surprises you. Nick Manning's sound design deserves special mention – every creak, whisper, and sudden bang is perfectly timed to set your nerves on edge.
The creators clearly know how to use every trick in the book – from that opening safety curtain to a truly creepy collection of dolls that serves as a warning of what's to come.
Jonathan Guy Lewis brings just the right mix of authority and growing unease as Professor Goodman, while David Cardy, Preston Nyman, and Clive Mantle each deliver compelling performances as the storytellers. They make you believe in their terror, which makes it all the more infectious.
This isn't subtle psychological horror – it's a ride that combines genuine scares with a knowing sense of humour about horror conventions. The audience around me screamed, laughed nervously, and audibly gasped throughout. It's a shared experience that makes it even more fun, as you're all in it together.
While I'm keeping the plot under wraps as requested by the creators, I can say that Ghost Stories is much more than just a series of jump scares. It's clever how the stories connect and build to something unexpected. It respects both the horror genre and its audience.
If you're looking for a thrilling night out that will get your heart racing, Ghost Stories delivers exactly what it promises. Just maybe don't go alone. Fifteen years after it first opened, this show proves that great theatrical scares never go out of fashion.
It runs until 8 November. Tickets: here.
Photo: Hugo Glendinning