Ghost Stories

Nominated for two Olivier Awards in 2011, Ghost Stories is one of the most highly anticipated shows on the West End, following more than a thousand shows across the world, including China, Germany, Italy, Australia, and Canada, and a 2017 film adaptation. Creator Andy Nyman, who previously played the Professor, co-wrote the play with author, musician, and screenwriter Jeremy Dyson. The show, notable for bringing horror back to the stage after decades, goes deeper than surface tension to unpack the psychology of fear itself, tapping into feelings like guilt, inadequacy, or the fear of being exposed. The score, with its rumbles, drips, and eerie wails, pairs beautifully with the eerie lighting and sets the tone of the production perfectly, keeping the audience engaged and on the edge of their seats.

The Story

Dr Phillip Goodman is a Professor of Parapsychology, and he is all set to deliver a lecture on ghosts and ghost stories. During the lecture, Dr Goodman mentions a particular website that features numerous ghost pictures. He has also held interviews with three different individuals who claim to have experienced a paranormal event. They are a teen driver, a night watchman, and a businessman awaiting the birth of his first child.

The interviews are played back, with Dr Goodman delving into the details of each story. Is there an underlying factor that is common across all the stories that tie them together? Is the Professor just a narrator in these incidents, or does he have a bigger and more mysterious role?