Based on the 1990 film of the same name, Ghost follows the story of Sam and Molly, whose life together is cut short when Sam is murdered in a seemingly random street robbery. Sam’s ghost stays close to Molly, but he soon finds out that the cause of his death was no accident and that the reasons behind his murder lie a little too close to home. Getting in contact with Oda Mae Brown, a fake medium who can actually hear him, Sam sets out to convince Molly that he is still with her, and to protect her from danger.
Following the plot of the film closely (potter’s wheel included), the musical, with music and lyrics written by Dave Stewart of The Eurythmics, maintains a fresh, contemporary feel with a visually impressive production, a set which constantly changed and adapted to portray the different locations and a well-constructed sound and lighting design.
With his impressive voice and a solid central performance, Niall Sheehy stands out from the cast as Sam, carrying with him a genuine warmth and stage presence; whilst Jaqui Du Bois provides a sass-filled comedy performance as Oda Mae Brown, hitting all the right comedy notes.
But where the show falters slightly, surprisingly, is in its musical numbers. The songs themselves are perfectly enjoyable enough to listen to during the show but despite the pop credentials of the writer, they were instantly forgettable, lacking the usual hook or melody which has you humming them as you leave the theatre. Compounding this was the fairly low key choreography, leaving you with the feeling that the songs weren’t either show stopping production numbers or narratively progressive.
However, despite this, the show draws out more of the emotional aspects of the story leaving more than a few members of the audience with a tear in their eye; and provides an enjoyable, entertaining night at the theatre and an experience which fans of the film will certainly delight in.
Ghost is playing at Sheffield Lyceum Theatre until Saturday 19th January 2019. Visit Sheffield Theatres for details.
