Ghost Stories at Mayflower Southampton Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Mel S-W
I am a great fan of all things ghostly and I’ve seen many spooky shows … but this … was something else. Expect to jump and be on the edge of your seat… and possibly clinging to the person next to you!
I love my visits to the Mayflower, the staff are always so very helpful. We had amazing seats and were in the stalls. We had a great view of the stage so we could watch all the action unfold in front of our eyes. When we entered, we were told that there was no interval and unfortunately if we left our seats half way through the performance, we wouldn’t be shown back to them. I can completely see why this was the case. All eyes were on the stage and I think I might have screamed if someone brushed against me trying to get back to their seat! Like most shows, mobile phones are prohibited but it was stressed by the staff tonight with one of the main reasons.. to protect the secrets.
With the most haunting audio; dripping water, wind howling, ghosts circling, being the soundtrack for our entrance into the theatre, the stage, a closely guarded secret and giving nothing away from its weather beaten and worn safety screen. It built tension with the audience sitting waiting and wondering in anticipation… What was going to happen? and how scared they were going to be? I felt like we were in for a rollercoaster ride… what did the show have in store for us?!?
Like most shows at the moment, there’s only so much that you can share about it without giving away too much and spoiling the experience. Just a bit of background, Professor Goodman, arch-sceptic out to debunk the paranormal, sets out to investigate three apparent hauntings. Those affected were a night-watchman, a teenage boy, and a businessman awaiting his first child.
The set was so clever, with a series of arches to give the impression that there’s more to the stage than there was, giving great perspective. Clever revolving staging that moves as if by magic, transporting you from one scene to the next and back again. It was seamless and so well executed.
The small cast were just simply brilliant and helped build suspense throughout. With the use of clever sets, props and even a massive car in one act, the characters were able to tell their Ghost Stories. Professor Goodman (Dan Tetsell) is fantastic and as the good professor guides us through his piece, the audience really feels like you’re in a lecture hall. His great stage presence supports this and of course complete with laser pointer… we were all set. David Cardy’s (Birds of a Feather) Eddie Loodmer-Elliott (Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness) and Clive Mantle (Casualty) told their stories so very well, built suspense and made us jump. Ghost Stories also wasn’t just all about the scaring (although that was a very big part) there were moments of humour and times that it made us think. I thought it was very cleverly done, very smooth and effective.
Ghost Stories is another of the shows that’s too gripping to allow an interval. Having watched it I can understand why… Why break the suspense? We were all on the edge of our seats and wondering what was going to come up next. So you’ll see some later start times with no interval. Expect Ghost Stories to run for about 1 hr 40 minutes Due to the nature of the show, the recommended age is 15 plus. Ghost Stories is nearing the end of its run with another handful of venues until it wraps up for this tour.
I absolutely loved it. It was different from what I expected. I would urge others to go and see it so I can talk about it!
Rating: 4/5
Tickets for the show started from £24.50. For more information or to book tickets, visit www.mayflower.org.uk
Mayflower Theatre, Commercial Road, Southampton, SO15 1GE