“Are you brave enough to book?”

This daring question is just about all we know ahead of the upcoming Sydney production of Ghost Stories, the macabre and wildly successful West End play that will be haunting the Opera House this month.

Written by the masters of horror Jeremy Dyson (The League Of Gentlemen) and Andy Nyman (Death At A Funeral), the plot of the show is shrouded in secrecy. At the very least, it promises to be a psychological thriller that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Creative director Peter Snee doesn’t tell us much more, but he certainly piques our interest about Ghost Stories and how the horror genre will translate to the stage.

“Films are created with a complete believability,” explains Snee. “We believe the characters that we’re watching and the situations that they’re in because we’re able to film in environments that are identifiably real to people. Theatrical productions, in their very nature, have a kind of elevated sense of reality – we always know that we’re watching these characters who are only a few metres from us, so nothing truly terrifying is happening to them. One of the big challenges with this production was how to capture that horror and make it relatable to every single member of the audience.”

The answer to that challenge was to mess with people’s minds, naturally.

“One of the huge advantages we’ve got is that one of the writers, Andy Nyman, does a lot of psychological magic,” Snee says. “So although there’s no blood or gore in this show, there’s a lot of psychological manipulation and we play on all of the senses to make it as immersive for the audience as possible.”

Psychology has proven an important element not just to the play itself, but also the marketing of it. How do you sell tickets to a show that not only defies the normal theatre genres, but is completely shrouded in secrecy?

“If you say to someone, ‘There’s something in that box, don’t look in it,’ the first thing they’re going to do is look into it,” says Snee. “It’s all they’ll be able to focus on for that whole conversation. It’s playing on that element of excitement and people just wanting to know. It’s human curiosity. Also, everybody enjoys the thrill of a surprise. It’s like The Sixth Sense;all the fun of that movie is the twist at the end, and when you’re in on the secret it’s kind of nice to be part of the inner circle.”

He continues, “I also think that a portion of the audience see that it’s horror, can’t really find much information but give it a go. They are just looking for something different, looking to push their own boundaries and be challenged in their own beliefs and views.

“Without giving too much away, we do have a twist in our show as well which brings people back to the theatre, and people in London reported seeing the show two or three times so they could come back and see it with fresh eyes.”

Despite being firmly planted within the horror genre, Ghost Stories also features an element of comedy.

“The great thing about comedy and horror is that they fit so comfortably together; they’re both instinctive reactions,” explains Snee. “The chemistry of both of those emotions works so well together. The minute you make someone laugh, they feel very comfortable and very safe. The moment you can make someone feel safe, well, there’s no better time to throw a bit of horror at them, just as they’ve relaxed into their seat.”

So, are you brave enough to book?

Pictured: David Cardy in the UK production of Ghost Stories. Photo by Helen Maybanks.

Ghost Stories runs Wednesday July 8 – Saturday August 15, at the Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House.

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