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It may not have been the spookiest time of the year, but that did not stop people flocking to the Wales Millennium Centre to see what has been billed as one of the, if not THE, scariest theatre production.
In the blurb for Ghost Stories there are warnings that it ‘contains moments of extreme shock and tension’ and a request for people of ‘a nervous disposition to think very seriously before attending.’ Far from putting people off, this has proven to be canny marketing because there was a distinct lack of empty seats in the building on the night I attended.
The set up for the show is excellent. It begins with a Professor Goodman taking to the stage in a lecture-style format to debunk the paranormal. Played brilliantly by Dan Tetsell, Goodman takes the view that there is a rational explanation for the overwhelming majority of ghostly goings-on. In his investigations over the years however, he confessed to there being three cases which trouble him as they cannot be so easily explained. Over the course of 90 minutes – without an interval – Ghost Stories weaves those irregular cases together in a well-crafted, atmospheric and often chilling show.
It is easy to see why this show has been Olivier-nominated has garnered plaudits the world over. It has also been turned into a well-received horror film of the same name which stars Martin Freeman. The scares – when they come – are never cheap or unwarranted thanks to the excellent script and storytelling from the pens of Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson. Backed by a piercingly loud sound effects system, the jump scares had a few people around me gasping and breathing sighs of relief when the moment had passed.
Around the leading role of Professor Goodman, the small cast featuring David Cardy, Clive Mantle, Eddie Loodmer-Elliott, Lloyd McDonagh and Preston Nyman all shine in their own sections of the show. Special mention must also go to the set designers who manage to deftly transform the WMC into an authentic looking empty warehouse, misty woods or a baby’s nursery at various times in the production. The show’s big revelation when it comes at the end, answers many of the questions you may have at the strange and unexplained goings on with Professor Goodman. The conclusion also ties together the different strands within the show and it is seriously impressive, stellar writing.
By the time the show had ended, it was clearly a relief to some of the audience to emerge from the Donald Gorden theatre into a warm summer’s evening that still had some daylight left in it before the inevitable darkness descended. I am not sure how well they will have slept that night however.