The Canterville Ghost – Tall Stories / Southwark Playhouse, London

A review of The Canterville Ghost, a perfect Halloween show by Tall Stories on at the Southwark Playhouse. Tall Stories rework Oscar Wilde’s original story into a fun evening of magic, illusions and ghostly happenings in a music hall production.

The Canterville Ghost

It’s the right time of year to see a production which is a little bit spooky, so what better than a ghost story? The Canterville Ghost, by Tall Stories Theatre Company, certainly fits the bill. Perhaps you know Oscar Wilde’s short story? It’s the story of Sir Simon de Canterville, a ghost with an impeccable pedigree and many centuries of top notch frights behind him. Until, that is, an American family move in, with modern ideas and solutions that upend the status quo. But is that, after all, what the Canterville ghost needed to be able to rest in peace? It’s a send-up of the culture clash between Old World heritage and New World modernity, but also a somewhat sweet story about love and death.

This new production takes the latter and discards the former, stripping the story back to essentials. It also imbeds the ghost story as a play-within-a-play. We first meet a quartet of music hall performers: a comedian, an illusionist, a psychic and a compere. They each have a chance to show off their acts as interludes between chapters in the story of the Canterville Ghost. There’s also an overarching narrative which I won’t reveal, but it ties it all together nicely.

It’s a structure which really works very well. The Canterville Ghost as a story is a short thing, coming in at around 50 pages. I like the idea of breaking it down into vignettes in a bigger show, rather than stretching it out to an evening’s entertainment. The music hall setting is also a perfect way to bring out Wilde’s wit and comedy, and to have fun with the supernatural elements. Tall Stories are known for fun and creative storytelling for all ages, and this production shows how they apply this skillset to shows for older audiences.

Music Hall Nostalgia

Something I really enjoyed about The Canterville Ghost was the fond homage to the music hall. The evening begins with the compere Stephen Sublime (Steve Watts) playing some music hall favourites on the piano while the audience chats. Having been to that Marie Lloyd-themed evening a while back, I knew enough to recognise ‘The Boy I Love is Up in the Gallery’ among others.

Between magic tricks, a ventriloquist’s act (a real highlight, by Matt Jopling) and a psychic, this is an evening which truly entertains. It’s also funny, with a real rapport with the audience. We cheer along semi-willing audience participants as they head up on stage. We laugh with the actors when they break character. I struggle to think of anything else I’ve seen recently which had such a warmth to it. There are few formats where the audience is so integral to the show as the music hall.

So it really is a fun evening and well worth getting yourself a ticket. Beware the front row, though, if you don’t intend to become part of the show! Also beware the seemingly original footlights – a lovely detail but also clearly a cause of great concern to the ushers as the audience walk carelessly past them. It’s these thoughtful touches which make The Canterville Ghost an entertaining evening on a human scale. You can feel the great care which goes into the production, and the fun the cast have. Would Wilde have approved? Maybe, although he might not have admitted it.

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 4/5

The Canterville Ghost on until 5 November 2022 at the Southwark Playhouse, and on tour