Ghost The Musical At Bournemouth Pavilion Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Steven Osborne

The 1990 movie, Ghost, is my wife’s all-time favourite movie ever (and I mean Ever!), so I was in for some major brownie points when I told her that we’d been asked to review Ghost The Musical at Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre on opening night, this evening.

We were seated in row N of the Stalls, to the right hand side of the stage as you look at it. We had a good view of all of the action on the stage. Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre is a relatively old theatre, and leg room is a little on the tight side, but the seats are quite comfortable.

For those who don’t know, Ghost is a timeless love story. It is a classic. When Sam Wheat and Molly Jensen are returning home from an evening out, Sam is tragically murdered leaving Molly in a world of utter despair. Sam is stuck between worlds and with the help of phoney psychic, Oda Mae Brown, he manages to communicate to Molly that she too, is in grave danger.

In the Oscar-winning movie, the parts of Sam and Molly are originally (and brilliantly) played Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, with Whoopi Goldberg, playing the fabulous Oda Mae Brown. Needless to say, the respective actors in Ghost The Musical had a lot to live up to!

Safe to say, we weren’t at all disappointed. In Ghost The Musical, Sam is played brilliantly by Josh St. Clair. We were intrigued to see how the theatre production was going to depict Sam as a ghost, without the aid of CGI. We think they managed this really effectively, with the clever use of lighting to depict Sam in his other-worldly persona.

Molly is played with tremendous heart by Rebekah Lowings. You could really feel how much she hungered to be touched by Sam, just one last time. You could feel her heartbreak and she captivated the audience, particularly when she was on stage alone.

Oda Mae Brown must be one of our favourite movie characters of all time. What a job Jacqui Dubois did, bringing her to life. She certainly gave Whoopi Goldberg a run for her money with her depiction of this amazing character. The stage lit up every time she came appeared. In fact, Jacqui Dubois as Oda Mae Brown was the standout performance of the night. She was spectacular. It was if she was made for the role.

The original movie script, written by Bruce Joel Rubin embodies THE perfect blend of heartbreak balanced with the most brilliant comedic moments to add much needed light relief to this beautiful story. Thankfully, Mr Rubin also adapted his screenplay for Ghost The Musical, so this successful formula was recreated on stage and we were pleased that the stage show stays true to the movie.

With original music and lyrics written by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics fame and Glen Ballard, accompanying one of the most iconic movie songs ‘Unchained Melody’ by the Righteous Brothers. These songs were delivered beautifully by Josh and Rebekah, who have amazing voices in their own right.

We didn’t have to wait long for THAT iconic scene, with Sam and Molly at the potter’s wheel, we were a little disappointed by the accompanying version of Unchained Melody. However, the ending of the show more than made up for our initial disappointment, with a stunning duet from Josh St Clair and Rebekah Lowings.

The set changes were really clever and well executed, bringing almost seamless changes throughout the performance.
The show delivers a roller-coaster of emotions; Molly’s despair at the loss of Sam is tangible, yet Molly and Sam’s performances are perfectly balanced with the fantastically funny Oda Mae. The show is heartbreaking yet heart-warming in equal measure.

With a running time of approximately 2 and a half hours, including a 20 minute interval, the energy on stage carried through the entire performance, from the moment it started to the exceptional finale, keeping the audience engaged throughout. I didn’t want it to end, it was that brilliant.

The tickets range between £19.50 and £49.50, so there’s a ticket price for everyone’s budget to see this fabulous show! I think it’s great value for money.

The show is running from Tuesday 10th until Saturday 14th September 2024, with matinee shows on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. It is recommended for age 12 years and over, which I think is completely appropriate, given some of the language and the themes discussed in the performance.

Rating: 4.5/5

RRP: Tickets range from £19.50 to £49.50 depending on date and seating location.

Buy tickets here: https://www.bournemouthpavilion.co.uk/events/ghost-2024

Full address of the Theatre: Bournemouth Pavilion, Westover Road, Bournemouth, BH1 2BU