Review of Ghost Stories at Milton Keynes Theatre

Written by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman, the play Ghost Stories has had great success since its first staging in 2010, with runs in the West End and a previous UK tour in 2020 and overseas. So, it is no surprise that a further tour has launched for 2025, reaching Milton Keynes Theatre this week.

The pedigree for the show is also strong, written by Dyson, the unseen part of the legendary The League of Gentleman team, and Nyman, a man of many talents and perhaps most relevant for this show, as a long collaborator with magician Derren Brown. Stagecraft ideas for his work provide many tricks in this stage show.

Without any spoilers, the story sees a sceptical Professor Goodman out to debunk the paranormal and using three apparent hauntings – as recounted by a night watchman, a teenage boy, and a businessman awaiting his first child as his basis for a lecture. However, has Goodman finally met something he can not discredit?

Running as a speedy one-act 90-minute production, any tension the creepy tale invokes cannot be released into the foyer at an interval, leaving the audience trapped within Dyson and Nyman's clever and weaving story.

The cast of four are superb and compelling storytellers. Dan Tetsell is the sceptical Professor Goodman, presenting his lecture on the paranormal to us, the audience, in a jocular and often condescending manner to the victims. His character is where the bulk of humour, some dark, occurs in this piece via his collection of slides and videos. This jokey nature allows the three ghostly tales in between to become more effective.

Here, the remaining three cast members each individually come to the fore, initially night watchman Tony Matthews, played by David Cardy, then Eddie Loodmer-Elliott as the socially awkward teenager Simon Rifkind. Finally, we have Clive Mantle as Mike Priddle, a busy and highly successful trader with a trophy wife and eyes on continuing his family line. All three actors are great, telling their stories convincingly, no matter if you are a believer or a non-believer of the supernatural.

The staging is superb. The set designed by Jon Bausor provides one of the smoothest scene transition capabilities many recent shows, with the ability to create a dingy former psychiatric hospital, a motion car sequence, and a simple nursery at ease.

The set, coupled with excellent lighting by James Francombe and sound by Nick Manning, builds suspense and tension via psychological effects and the inevitable jump shocks. Direction from the writers, alongside Sean Holmes, also helps keep the pace going, allowing no chance of breath for the audience.

Ghost Stories is excellent theatrical horror, edging a delicate balance between humour, jump shocks and psychological tension, and is, without doubt, one of the finer representations of the genre on stage, much better than more recent pretenders to the crown. If you are interested in ghostly, creepy tales, this is a surefire evening of entertainment not to be missed.

The perfect ghostly night at the theatre. Creepy, shocking and full of dark humour.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Performance reviewed: Tuesday, 18th February 2025, at the Milton Keynes Theatre.

Ghost Stories is at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday, 22nd February 2025.

For further details about Milton Keynes, see their website at http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre/

Production photos: Chris Payne (images from previous production)