Ghost

Being a true 90’s classic, Ghost was bound to one day be adapted into a musical and I’m so glad it was! The storyline remains pretty much unchanged, but with the addition of some truly lovely songs. For those who don’t know, Ghost follows Molly Jensen trying to navigate life after she loses her beloved Sam. We come to learn that Sam is trapped between this life and the next, only able to communicate through Oda Mae (psychic reader and advisor) to warn Molly of the danger she is in after realising his best friend, Carl, is not who he appears to be.

Crewe Amateur Musicals Society (CAMS) had their work cut out for them taking on this show, renowned for it’s special effects, however they truly did it justice! I must start by talking about the effects used within the production as they were utterly spectacular. The majority of the settings within the show were brought to life from a combination of screens along the back of the stage. The quality of the imagery used on said screens, and the definition of the screens themselves, must be commended. From basic settings such as windows in Molly’s apartment, to video footage of the actors playing the lead roles, to some very impressive coding imagery during “More”, these perfectly complimented the cast and the set used on stage. I particularly liked the use of a doorway in the centre that was brought in and out for several different scenes. The white light at the end of the show as a doorway for Sam to go into, just growing was a beautiful touch. One of the most iconic scenes in both the film and the stage show is when Sam is able to pass through a closed door. This was very cleverly staged by replacing the space within the screens with a “trick” door. I could talk about the effects and staging for hours! It was truly a visually stunning show to watch!

Aside from the media used to set scenes, there were a few additional set pieces brought on to represent offices, apartments and Oda Mae’s room. All were spaced and placed really well to allow the cast to work with and around them, and all transitions were slick and smooth. Lighting worked well in harmony with the set and the screens, not taking over the settings shown at the back of the stage, and really came to help with the impact of some more sinister scenes, exploring the use of lower lighting. The use of a lot of more purple tones was really nice to see and tied in with the colour theme often associated with the show.

In terms of sound, the production was very strong. Microphones timed well and most of the cast were very clearly heard. I did find, however, that the sound balancing did not quite hit the mark for Carl during his numbers. Dialogue over music was hard to hear along with vocals when singing with other members of the cast. The band of 10 were on top form, sounding incredible throughout the duration of the show, bringing to life the stunning music and repeated motifs written for Ghost. Treona Holden took on the role of Musical Director and did a sterling job, the harmonies from the principle cast and ensemble were spot on and they blended together very well, both with each other and with the band.

The choreography, by Rhianne Stubbs, was a pleasure to watch. Ghost is not really a dance heavy show and it can be easily over choreographed in my opinion, but Rhianne found the perfect level. The busy “business” scenes were excellent with ensemble filing in from the wings in lines, constantly passing to create the illusion of a busy street. This was paired with very controlled and rigid movement in just the right places to fit with the music. Rhianne has done a great job with this show, catering to the ability of all cast members really well.

From a directorial perspective, the production was very strong thanks to Sean Johnson-Hargreaves. All spacing and blocking was done with purpose and the relationships formed between the principle characters were brilliant. The production team as a whole have done an amazing job bringing together all aspects of the show.

The leading role of Sam Wheat was taken on by Sean Clark-Wilkinson, delivering some outstanding vocals throughout and hitting the mark consistently with the range of emotions shown by the character. He had the audience in the palm of his hand, and really pulled on the heartstrings (even making me cry on several occasions!). It’s a hard role to take on, not only vocally demanding but not being able to properly act against others on stage once Sam has died, but Sean did a brilliant job with this. I particularly enjoyed Sean’s performance of “Unchained Melody”, showcasing superb vocals along with live guitar playing.

Alongside Sean as Sam, was Heather Clark-Wilkinson as Molly. Sean and Heather are married in real life, which just made their chemistry on stage come to life. Their love for each other as Sam and Molly was undeniable, which made some scenes all the more sad. Heather gave us her all as Molly, bringing raw emotion to every scene paired with some lovely vocals. Although I did feel Heather slightly held back with her singing in some of the numbers, her acting through song was spot on at all times. Truly a pleasure to watch.

Rounding off the trio of friends was Mark Steven Cooper as Carl. This characters starts off being best of friends with Molly and Sam, and appears to love them dearly, however in the end he is not a nice guy at all. Mark had this character development down to a tee, with subtle changes throughout. It was a shame that Mark could not be heard very well for some of his dialogue and singing due to the music/ensemble being louder than him, however the vocals that I could hear were great.

The relationships formed between Molly, Sam and Carl were brilliant and believable, credit must be given to the actors and director. Especially in the more comical scenes earlier on in the show.

Natasha Griffiths as Oda Mae Brown really stole the show for me. An absolute powerhouse of vocals and comedy! Her timing was spot on at all times, especially in her interactions with Sam. Her rendition of “Outta Here” was a highlight of the show. This role can easily become a caricature of Whoopie Goldberg, however Natasha made the character her own. This was an outstanding performance from Natasha – well done!

The Hospital Ghost and Subway Ghost (played by Nick Horsley and Michael Burdin respectively) were very well cast. Nick gave lovely vocals and a real feel of a ghost like presence during the hospital scenes. Michael’s Subway Ghost was full of energy and recognition must be given for his performance of “Focus”, a very wordy number but this was all delivered with clarity.

Alex Hricko did an excellent job in the role of Willie Lopez, bringing just the right amount of evil and sneakiness into the character. Diane Wye, Lorna Lloyd, Mollie Slinn and Becky Causley all appeared as Oda Mae’s “sisters” in her psychic scenes, all of whom performed with great energy and great vocals.

This production had a very strong ensemble, especially vocally. All harmonies were executed beautifully. They were working in sync for the duration of the show, perfectly setting the scenes with full commitment shown from each and every one. They should all be very proud of themselves.

I feel I could say a lot more about this production as it is one of my favourite shows, but I would be here for weeks! This was a stunning show to watch and was cast very well. The whole cast and production team have obviously worked very hard and it has paid off in this excellent show. Thank you to CAMS for their kind invite and their hospitality during my visit, and I wish them the best of luck with their future productions. 

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