Ghost Stories....

This may be one of the first full-length reviews on the net of Ghost Stories, now showing at the Lyric, Hammersmith.

Ghost Stories, billed as 'a truly terrifying theatrical experience' comes with a strong pedigree, being written by Jeremy Dyson (the non-acting member of the League of Gentlemen) and the versatile Andy Nyman, a writer, actor and magician who excels in portraying dislikeable characters.

Nyman also takes the lead here; an arrogant academic and professional sceptic who presents to the audience three spooky case studies which he intends to debunk. The episodic style is a homage to the classic 40s horror film Dead of Night, the poster for which makes a brief appearance during proceedings. The portmanteau format was also used in the 60s and 70s in such hokey treats as Asylum and The House That Dripped Blood, and more recently by the League of Gentlemen themselves in their 2000 Christmas special, and by League alumnus Mark Gatiss in Crooked House (which also, incidentally, featured Andy Nyman in a supporting role).

So although the format may be quite unusual for theatre, it's nothing that hasn't been seen before, but then horror is quite a cosy genre in its way, with familiar tropes delivering comfortable shivers. The individual stories themselves also feature such standbys as a lonely nightwatchman, a car breaking down in the woods and a haunted nursery but are no less enjoyable for that. The first story in particular does a nice job of building tension and giving the audience the jitters.

Ghost Stories is not quite a 'terrifying' experience, but it has its share of scary moments, cheesy moments, and chuckles, and builds to a clever, and surprisingly thought-provoking climax. What more can you ask for?