On my way in to Ghost Stories to write this review a slightly nervous looking couple asked the usher "is it really scary?" When the usher assured them that it was they looked suitably worried and yet at the same time pleased. I think this sums up what makes Ghost Stories work. Those in the audience who come expecting to be terrified will be. Like a Hitchcock movie it's all in the suspense.
The Duke of York theatre have really gone to town to create the right atmosphere. The stairs leading to the stalls has been decorated to look like the old warehouse where the first scene is set. As a makeover it's not so much Laurence Llewelyn Bowen as Jim Bowen. It's a nice touch though.
I suspect the 9.30pm start has less to do with the show being relatively short at one hour twenty minutes with no interval but more to encourage the audience to have a drink or two beforehand. Indeed the bar opens an hour before the show. The odd spirit of the liquid kind certainly adds to the atmosphere.
Sat besides me there was a small suitably merry group. The nice young man next to me who was extremely camp said hello adding "please be warned if it gets too scary I may grab hold of you." Now I was scared.
Why is Ghost Stories scary?
The effects are good. Not surprising as writer/director Andy Nyman is a magician who has worked for many years with Derron Brown.
The ghosts are contemporary and personal. In so many ghost stories the spectre is a medieval monk or headless nobleman but here the ghosts are real people we can relate to. The photos shown during the lecture are similar to those we all have in our family albums. That makes it personal and unnerving.
It's simply a well written play with a totally unexpected cerita hantu plot twist.
Ghost stories is structured as a lecture which leads into each scene. However I won't say any more as that would spoil it for you. Indeed at the end of the play the audience are asked to keep the secrets rather like at the end of Agatha Christie's Mousetrap.
Would I recommend Ghost Stories? Yes. Come in the right spirit (forgive the pun) and enjoy it. Do sleep well and don't have nightmares.
Ghost Stories
Written and directed by Jeremy Dyson (League of Gentlemen) and Andy Nyman. Also directed by Sean Holmes. Andy Nyman also stars as the professor of parapsychology
Other cast members: David Cardy who plays a completely believable night watchman. Nicolas Burns Recently seen on TV in Benidorn alongside Jeremy Dyson's fellow gentleman Steve Pemberton. Ryan Gage