Review: Ghost The Musical, Mayflower Theatre, Southampton

INSPIRED by one of the biggest hits of the 1990s, Ghost the Musical is a timeless story of love and loss, taking audiences on an emotional journey.

Remaining fairly true to the movie, the musical version features the same iconic pottery wheel scene and blockbuster soundtrack combined with brilliant staging design and a superb cast.

The musical premiered in Manchester in 2011 before going on to play the West End and Broadway. To celebrate the launch of Ghost the Musical arriving in Southampton, cast members Gabrielle Cummins and James Mateo-Salt recently visited My Pottery recreate that iconic scene from the film and show.

The story begins with a young couple, who are deliriously happy and excitedly looking forward to their future together. However tragedy strikes when Sam, a banker, is apparently murdered in a street robbery.

Stuck between the world’s of the living and the dead, Sam discovers that his girlfriend Molly is also in enormous danger and vows to do all he can to keep her safe and solve the mystery of his murder along the way.

Ingenious use of scenery and staging helps move the story between the Sam and Molly’s lofty Brooklyn apartment, a clairvoyant’s studio, the bank where Sam works, a hospital, subway station and numerous other locations. Meanwhile the clever use of moving stage elements and lighting help depict various characters moving from the living into the afterlife.

Although the musical features the Righteous Brother’s iconic Unchained Melody, the stage version also showcases a whole new soundtrack which helps to redefine the movie’s story as a captivating stage show, complete with brilliantly choreographed dance routines.

Cast in the roles of Molly and Sam, Rebekah Lowings and Josh St Clair share huge on stage chemistry, with each showcasing a wonderful voice – especially in the ballads.

With huge stage presence and perfect comic timing, Jacqui Dobois is perfectly cast as Whoopi Goldberg’s character Oda Mae Brown- a dubious psychic who reluctantly agrees to help Sam in his quest to save Molly.

Meanwhile James Mateo-Salt demonstrates just the right level of menace and manic, as Sam’s colleague Carl Bruner, switching between a grieving friend and the corrupt banker who had unwittingly instigated Sam’s murder.

Sharing many iconic element with the movie that inspired it, the story is beautifully retold by a sensational cast.

Visit www.mayflower.org.uk