Review: Ghost in Concert (Adelphi Theatre)

Review by Ozbil Dumenci

⭐️⭐️

I’ve yet to make up my mind about what I think about the recent trend of ‘in concert’ productions of musicals. On one hand, they allow some creative risk taking by not requiring the mammoth financial commitment of a lengthy run. They can ask as a litmus test run to see if there’s enough interest to bring the show back for a major production. On the other hand, I find that their less fully fleshed nature results in a slightly more challenging pathway to fully connecting to the material as the audience, especially if one’s not already familiar with it. That said, many ‘in concert’ productions often come across as just as polished as a typical revival, resulting in a satisfying viewing experience if not inspiring. Of the ones I’ve seen, Evita is one that struck gold. Once, one of my all time favourite musicals, however, fell flat in this format.

Ghost is the most recent musical to get the ‘in concert’ treatment. Based on the 1990 film starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg, Ghost The Musical made its West End debut in 2011, with multiple UK tours over the last decade. The show centres around Sam (Oliver Tompsett) and Molly (Lucie Jones) who fall victim to a robbing, resulting in Sam’s untimely passing. Consequently he finds himself stuck between life and death, trying to protect Molly from a danger she is not yet aware of.

Going into the performance, I knew next to nothing about the show's premise. Within the first few minutes, though, I found myself slightly perplexed, struggling to relate to the tragic events that unfold, when we’ve spent the runtime thus far watching the characters either argue or talk about stocks. Granted, these are both plot devices that heavily come into play, but it’s just so hard to care about Sam’s demise or Molly’s grief when you haven’t spent time observing the highs of their relationship.

Tompsett and Jones do an impeccable job leading the immensely talented cast. Every time Jones opens her mouth, one can’t help but listen. Tompsett also brings a delightful vulnerability to his characterisation of Sam. The supporting cast is equally excellent, with David Seadon-Young playing a devilishly delicious villain and Moya Angela completely demolishing every scene she’s in.

However, the show’s greatest strength is also its Achilles heel. The vast majority of the comedic moments within the show come from Angela’s psychic. These moments land beautifully with the audience and are electric. Unfortunately, more often than not, these moments undercut the emotional core of the show and result in a tone that is at best muddled.

The staging was also confusing. This being a concert production, I was not only prepared for, but even excited about the prospect of a production without the luxury of every staging trick in the book. Sometimes, I find, going back to basics with the staging can help other aspects of a show – such as the music, or the performances – shine through. Unfortunately, though, this was not quite what I experienced with Ghost.

Constant footage of NYC flashing in the background at high speed made me feel like I was in an early 2000s Celine Dion music video. I love Celine Dion as much as the next guy, but I found it to be distracting. The faceless figurines projected over the screen, dancing out of sync with the cast were also distracting if not somewhat tacky. The most impactful moment of the show is perhaps when there’s only a cold blue light, fog and Lucie Jones centre-stage. I just wish the show embraced moments such as these, as the lighting is excellent throughout the show – intense and thoughtful.

Despite my gripes with the production, the show really sticks the landing. The last few minutes are tender, tense and romantic. This is in no small part thanks to the outstanding performances from Jones and Tompsett.

Undoubtedly one of the more difficult reviews I’ve had to write, I found Ghost to be an inherently flawed musical with a repetitive, slightly uninspired score, plagued by creative choices I could not wrap my head around. However, it would be completely unfair to say that the show is without merit. The superb cast did more than enough to ensure that I left the theatre emotionally satisfied. Who knows, maybe Ghost can become one of those musicals that haunts me until one day it clicks. But until then, I’d watch this production every day if it meant I could bask in the glory of the performances from Jones, Tompsett and the rest of the cast.

Ghost in Concert played for one night only on October 1st  2024