RITA DI SANTO draws attention to a new film that features Ken Loach and Jeremy Corbyn, and their personal experience of media misrepresentation
Ghost Stories, Lyric Theatre Hammersmith
Frighteningly good trio of spine-chilling tales
Ghost Stories, Lyric Theatre Hammersmith
JULIA TOPPIN recommends Patti Smith’s eloquent memoir that wrestles with the beauty and sorrow of a lifetime
MARJORIE MAYO welcomes an account of family life after Oscar Wilde, a cathartic exercise, written by his grandson
KEN COCKBURN guides us through a survey of Chekov’s early short fiction, and the groundwork it laid for his later masterpieces
ANDY HEDGECOCK revels in a hugely enjoyable but deadly serious examination of the 1930s, that is an indictment of our own era
The bard distills our hellish times into fiery words
GIVEN the success of Ghost Stories since it first appeared at the Liverpool Playhouse in 2010, it’s surprising that there are so few similar productions haunting the stage these days.
Theatreland, itself ridden with spooky backstage lore, is an ideal environment for the portrayal of creepy goings-on and, on the evidence of this production, ghostly tales also attract that much sought-after younger audience.
The Lyric interior, despite its modern exterior and appearance, is an old venue that has enough of a past to make it a more than worthy host to such a show and there’s no lack of tension throughout, even before proceedings begin.
Similar stories
PETER MASON applauds a stage version of Le Carre’s novel that questions what ordinary people have to gain from high-level governmental spying
SUSAN DARLINGTON applauds a one-man show that navigates racist barriers to tell the story of the black pilot, boxer and jazz musician
ANDY HEDGECOCK recommends two collections of short stories that use a single location to connect the narratives, and explore the limits of our ability to understand the world
PETER MASON applauds a thought-provoking study of the relationship between a grieving woman and her photographer