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This review of ‘Ghost Stories’ is from the Lyric Hammersmith in April 2019. It transfers to the Ambassadors Theatre in October
Having seen ‘Ghost Stories’ during its West End run, I happily agreed to watch it again as it returns to its original home of Hammersmith. If you’ve got a friend whose head you’d really like to fuck with, and you know what’s coming, it’s worth the journey for that reward.
The format is brilliant. Our host is Professor Goodman – originally played by the show’s co-creator Andy Nyman, now by Simon Lipkin – who regales us with a series of spooky tales he deems both terrifying and unexplainable. The unexplainable bit is questionable, but still – it’s a real recipe for jokes, and jumps, as things appear unexpectedly in the dark, and it all wraps around to a smart surprise finale. (It’s better to not spoiler any of it).
As with the first time I watched all this unfold, the tension emanating from my companion was palpable. She gripped my arm each time something looked to be untangling and shrieked with a mixture of fear and joy at the end of each account. She also howled with laughter when the biggest man in the room let out a ladylike scream.
So there we go, mission accomplished. Jeremy Dyson and Nyman’s spectre baby may have grown up but it hasn’t grown tired. It’s still your go-to if you want to well-and-truly wig someone out.