REVIEW OF GHOST STORIES BY LYNN CARROLL

May 14, 2025

Where do I start with this one? Well firstly it was not at all what I expected as I thought it would be a play telling a story of hauntings and the supernatural, along the lines of Sixth Sense, The Woman in Black or The Shining, all of which frightened me to death. I then gave up on horror and ghostly goings on as they either made me frightened to go to bed or laugh out loud.

I must have a very logical mind as I find it very hard to suspend my disbelief; why on earth would he/she do that, what was the point of that, why would you not just run? However, I expected something different from this, especially hearing audience members enthuse about it. So, when a ‘Professor’ began talking about the everyday explanations for many unexplained phenomena, which went on for quite a while, I was becoming impatient for the story to begin and the lecture to end.

Finally, we got to the first of a trio of ghostly events with our Professor friend popping on and off stage with various explanations and telling us of the resultant effects this had on the life of the haunted person. Well I say haunted but each of the three subjects experienced a single event which then affected them more or less for life.

There were lots of ghostly, loud noises and glimpses of inhuman ‘things’ that bounced across the stage or came out of nowhere and of course this gave the audience many startling moments, but frightening? No, not really. I jumped in my seat but cannot honestly say these things were frightening, just unexpected.

Due to the subject matter the sets were of course drab and dark and mostly the haunted person stood imparting their story, apart from the first which was shown more through actions. The second story I was pleased to see Clive Mantle relating his story as I was rather a fan of his when he starred as Mike Barratt in Casualty and Holby City. He is a tall guy and was also cast as Little John back in the 80s series, Robin of Sherwood. My son and I are ‘Grace’ fans and we also saw him in one of those detective plays at the Palace Theatre some time ago.

Rather like The Mousetrap we were asked not to divulge the ending so I will say no more. I drove home to an empty house but I can honestly say I suffered no detrimental effects and did not feel compelled to look under my bed or into every room. I slept soundly and suffered no nightmares, which, I suppose, I am grateful for even though that is probably the aim of any ghost, supernatural or horror film, play, book etc. That is why, as a genre, I do not usually watch them so rest assured that if you have a strong constitution you will leave unscathed from the theatre, but if you haven’t...beware!