In 1990 the film Ghost, starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg, was an Oscar- winning hit – now the stage version, adapted by the film’s writer Bruce Joel Rubin, is enjoying a national tour.
The West End hit has become famous for its impressive stage illusions which are created by English magician Paul Kieves. Kieves created the magic effects for the films Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Martin Scorsese’s Hugo as well as the West End’s Matilda the Musical and The Invisible Man, to name but a few.
With so many elements of technology and stage illusion Ghost The Musical is probably the most technically intricate production to ever tour the UK. The Leeds Grand has now exclusively revealed some surprising behind-the-scenes facts to give an idea of its complexity:
- The show took 3 days to ‘get-in’ at Leeds Grand Theatre
- 10 articulated trucks have brought the scenery, props, costume, wigs, lighting, sound, video and automation to Leeds
- Due to the complexity and speed of the scene changes the majority of the scenery is automated
- The touring company consists of 22 cast, 7 musicians and 21 production staff
- The ‘Mother Truss’ suspended from the grid weighs just over 21 tonnes
- The set includes 7 automated LED Video Walls – there are 172,176 LED pixels in total. In addition there are 5 projectors rigged front of house
- 5 miles of cable provide power, data and communication between lighting, sound, automation, video, the stage and front of house
- There are 810 lighting cues and 746 sound cues
- 17 computers control all the set, lighting sound and AV equipment
- There are 10 illusion sequences in Ghost. Some of the illusions used in the tour are brand new magic sequences that didn’t appear in the Manchester, London or Broadway productions.
Directed by the Tony award winning Matthew Warchus (Matilda, Art) with music and lyrics by Grammy award winning Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) and Glen Ballard, Ghost the Musical is a timeless fantasy about the power of love. Sam (Stewart Clark) is trapped as a ghost between this world and the next trying to communicate with girlfriend Molly through a phoney psychic (Wendy Mae Brown) in the hope of saving her from his murderer.
Ghost The Musical is at Leeds Grand Theatre until Saturday June 29th. Tickets are priced from £15 to £43. Book online at leedsgrandtheatre.com or call box office on 0844 848 2700
