Ghost Stories (Play) Review

[Sundae]

I haven't written up my trip to London with Mum because I didn't have a camera and I can't help missing it when making commentary here.
But I can review my second viewing of Ghost Stories, given that photos would not have been possible anyway.

I was slightly disappointed when we arrived; it was a smaller venue than the one I'd first seen it in and the theatre was still only half full. I worry for Mssrs Nyman and Dyson. But then it was a Tuesday out of tourist season I suppose.

Anyway, it meant Mum & I could swap seats slightly. We we two seats in, and instead we could sit on the aisle, so I could stretch my (long, attractive) legs and Mum had somewhere to stash her bag and jacket. Knowing it was 80-90 minutes with no interval I made sure Mum and I were well toileted before the show started.

The atmosphere was nowhere near as creepy as when I went to see it previously. Then again I was in the Stalls, which meant heading down into what felt like the basement. This time we were in the first row of the Circle.

There was a slightly rowdy crowd at the front. Great, I thought, they will talk and laugh and catcall and diffuse all the moments of tension. Oh no. They came under the play's spell. I mean yes, there is humour in there. And not all gallows humour. Both Dyson and Nyman are masters at making you laugh all the better to scare the pants off you.

Poor Mum.
She thought I would be an old jaded hand at this. I didn't only scream this time, I actually roared in shock at one point. And I don't mean like Katy Perry (ask Dana) I mean a sound of instinctive shock. Every type of scare possible on stage. Simple but clever special effects. And very good verbal dissimulation which I may have picked up on because I'd seen it before, or because I've watched so much Derren Brown.

Turns out they had tweaked the stories to some extent. So the scares came at different points, for different reasons, or just with better effects.

Goodness me it was worth the money. I'm just glad I bought the tickets when they we a mild indulgence, before everything changed and they became a ridiculous luxury.
Mum said, "Well it's not anything I would have chosen to see, but it was nice for a change."

Glad she got to experience it in that case.