Review: Ghost Stories, Mayflower Theatre, Southampton

THE scene was set for some serious haunting as the chilling one-act play Ghost Stories arrived at Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre.

Widely hailed as one of the most terrifying theatrical experiences around, I genuinely wondered how I would fare as I settled down for an evening of escapism with my unshakable best friend.

I am, if I’m totally honest, a bit of a wuss when it come to all things horror – and the play crafted by Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson, was certainly enough to keep my heart pounding for most of the 90-minute duration.

Staging was a triumph of clever design as a series of chilling ghost stories were recounted by Professor Goodman, a paranormal investigator who had devoted his life to debunking and explaining away even the strangest of occurrences.

Beginning with a lecture-like format delivered from a lectern, the tension was palpable as the professor recounted unusual hauntings as told by a night watchman, a teenage boy and an over-ambitious businessman.

There were a number of occasions when the theatre was plunged into total darkness and at other times bright lights shone out from the gloom, adding to the sense of tension. The sound design also added to the chilling atmosphere as quiet creeps and taps intensified to become something altogether more menacing.

The staging was quite remarkable as the story progressed through various scenes with moving doorways and revolving rooms shifting alongside the narrative. Each individual tale was well constructed and engaging as the characters recounted their own disturbing experiences. The small cast were excellent and thoroughly engaging throughout – particularly Dan Tetsell as Professor Goodman.

The beauty of Ghost Stories is the not knowing how the story will play out – so I will leave the plot explanation there and simply say the jump scares were plentiful and there were several occasions when I jumped out of my skin!

But on the whole, these moments were more entertaining than genuinely terrifying, and I spent a lot of the evening laughing at my own reactions and the shrieks of those around me.

Can I sleep with the lights out tonight? Yes I definitely can, but Ghost Stories was a theatrical experience I won’t forget. Catch it at Southampton Mayflower Theatre until Saturday. Tickets are from £19.50 to book visit www.mayflower.org.uk