There were many Ghost’s die-hard fans in the theatre, at the opening night of the tour of this musical in Bromley (before it moves to Sheffield, Wolverhampton, Leicester, Woking, Londonderry, Brighton, Edinburgh, Chester, Sunderland, Cardiff, Glasgow, Carlisle, Belfast, Manchester, Liverpool and Bradford)
That is because Ghost it is not just a 1990 movie blockbuster, but also a timeless classic that talks about love.
The story centres on a young woman in jeopardy (Molly – Rebekah Lowings), the ghost of her murdered lover (Sam – Niall Sheehy), their best friend (Carl – Sergio Pasquariello) and a reluctant psychic (Oda-Mae – Jacqui Dubois) who assists Sam in saving her.
The show flows at a good pace throughout. I am sure most of us are already familiar with the story, but, still, here we are, holding our breaths when Sam is killed or when he finds out why he was murdered. The suspense is there. That’s the magic of theatre.
Sergio is a superb Carl. Rebekah and Niall are a truly convincing Sam and Molly. Their duet of Unchained Melody is breath-taking: intense, sweet and emotional. The fabulous Jacqui Dubois as Oda Mae steals the show, with a flawless performance and a perfect coming timing.
Bob Tomsons directs this slick and versatile stage production that, with an excellent lighting (Nick Richings) keeps up the illusion of the story. This happens also because the illusionist, Richard Pinner, raises the bar on special effects. The transitions between the scenes are smooth.
Dave Stewart of the Eurhythmics and Glen Ballard have written the music. I can’t say the songs are memorable, but definitely a good score. Unfortunately, the orchestration was overpowering some of the numbers, at times.
Ghost the musical is a beautiful, clever and touching show, loved by the crowd. It’s one that you probably should not miss. Oh, and bring a tissue.
Ghost - The Musical runs at Churchill Theatre Bromley until Saturday 12 Jan