Show: Ghost The Musical
Format: Musical
Genre: Romantic Thriller
Date: April 23 2019
Location: Empire Theatre, Liverpool
“Oh my love, my darling … I’ve hungered for your touch …” Welcome to our review of Ghost The Musical at Liverpool‘s Empire Theatre! Death is a taboo subject that many people find hard to talk about. It is unknown to us what death actually is, and it is for this reason that many people do not like talking about it. Ghost – The Musical explores the popular tale of a young couple, in love and planning their future; however, before they could both declare their love for each other, one of them is tragically murdered and they are separated, never to be together again. In this story, Sam told Molly he’d love and protect her forever and he still does this, in a way, from beyond the grave.
Ghost The Musical
Synopsis Of Ghost The Musical
The Liverpool Empire was filled with a buzz of excitement as the audience waited for the curtain to lift on this production. With many people having previously seen the famous film version starring Patrick Swayze, the audience was almost full for press night. Having only seen the film version once, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to follow the storyline, but I was quickly proved wrong.
From the second the curtain rises, we were quickly transported into the life of Sam (Niall Sheehy) and Molly (Rebekah Lowings), who have just moved into a flat together, along with some help from their good friend Carl (Sergio Pasquariello). Straight away, the chemistry between Molly and Sam is clear to see, and we are viewing a young couple, in love and planning their exciting futures ahead of them.
Death
When Sam dies, Molly’s world turns upside down. Meanwhile, Sam looks on, stuck somewhere in a kind of limbo place, where he can’t quite reach heaven yet. He watches over Molly, and soon realises he has to help protect her. Furthermore, he sees the criminal who attacked him, and soon finds out his name is Willie Lopez (Jules Brown), and that Molly is in grave danger from him. So, he enlists the help of Oda Mae Brown (Jacqui Dubois), a medium who claims she can speak with the dead. In hilarious scenes, he speaks to Oda Mae and asks her to relay the information to Molly, to keep her safe.
Eventually, we learn that Carl was in on the murder of Sam, and is in league with Willie Lopez, helping to launder millions of pounds. In the end, both Lopez and Carl die and end up in ‘hell’. Oda Mae continues relaying Sam’s words to Molly, and the pair share a loving embrace, with Molly finally realising that Sam is still with her. Sam can finally leave Molly, having completed all he had to do. And the show ends with an emotional journey to heaven.
Analysis Of Ghost The Musical
This show is a spectacle to watch, and is easy enough to follow for those who don’t know the story. Throughout, the audience is either crying or laughing, as we follow the tragic story of Sam and Molly. Rebekah Lowings as Molly is great throughout. With perfect vocals, her singing is note-perfect, and her rendition of With You was heartbreaking to watch. She managed to convey her emotion throughout, from heartbroken to in love, at the snap of a finger. Paired up with Niall Sheehy as Sam, the two of them carry the show perfectly. Sheehy does a great job at playing the ‘ghost’ of Sam, and the audience loved his carry-on with Oda Mae. Sheehy’s voice is strong throughout, and he has a great leading man quality.
One of the standout roles in the show for me was Jacqui Dubois as Oda-Mae. The audience loved her from the second she entered the stage. Her comedic timing is great, and she bounces from Sam with all their confusion over who said what. With only a small ensemble in the show, a lot of cast members double up throughout the show as smaller roles. The ensemble numbers were brilliant, both vocally and choreographically. Towards the end of Act One with the final number, the music overpowered the vocalists a bit. So, it was difficult to follow this song.
Other Thoughts
Alistair David should also get a mention for his choreography of the ensemble numbers. The dances were simple but very effective, with lots of inverted arm lines and smaller movements. Mostly, this choreography was spot-on timing-wise. But perhaps the team could slightly trim down the opening number in Act Two to keep it tighter. The set is perfect for this production. And credit goes to the sound team for the audio effects during Sam’s attempts to try and touch things.
One of the main spectacles of the show is the final scene, where Sam ascends to heaven. With the combination of the acting, the music, and the lighting which comes out completely into the audience, this is a scene that has the audience gasping and crying as we realise what is happening. One of the only minor things I can say is that from there, we go straight into the bows. I feel like people were still too emotional and thinking about the final scene to fully applaud this wonderful cast!
Summary Of Ghost The Musical
Ghost The Musical is a faultless production. And from what I’ve seen, it will be treading the theatre boards for many years to come.
