Interview: Ghosted by the Past, Haunted by Love?

Callum Murray discusses Here Comes Your Ghost Again

Playwright Callum Murray, with a rich background in journalism, returns to his theatrical roots, bringing his latest work, Here Comes Your Ghost Again, to The Bread & Roses Theatre. Drawing from his diverse experiences, Murray crafts a story that explores the intricate layers of human connection.

Here Comes Your Ghost Again promises an intimate and compelling narrative, set against the backdrop of modern relationships. With a keen eye for the nuances of communication and the challenges of navigating personal histories, Murray’s play invites audiences to consider the unseen forces that shape our connections.

We caught up with Callum to chat about the play,

Thank you for joining us here at Everything Theatre. Please tell us about yourself.

I’m Callum Murray, the playwright and co-director with Rose Ryan. The company is We To Play.

Where are you playing and why that venue?

We are performing at The Bread & Roses Theatre in Clapham on 1st-5th April. The venue provides the ideal intimate setting in which the relationship between the two characters, Dan and Esther (played by Phil Nair-Brown and Sam Nixon), can play out.

What can audiences expect from the show?

Here Comes Your Ghost Again is a bitter-sweet comedy about a relationship haunted by the ghost of a former lover, against the background of a life-changing medical event.

What was the inspiration behind the show?

The inspiration was two-fold. Firstly, a desire to explore what we choose to conceal and reveal in a relationship, and how that has changed in the era of social media. And secondly, how that dynamic changes when one of the partners in the relationship experiences a catastrophic event – in this case a stroke.

How long have you been working on this play?

I began writing this play more than a year ago. It first appeared as a 10-minute sketch entitled Unfriend Me You Fiend at various scratch nights, before progressing to a half-hour version performed as a double bill with a one-man comedy show in Sussex. The present, full-length version, with the new title Here Comes Your Ghost Again, was completed just weeks ago.

Has the play changed since you first put pen to paper?

It has changed drastically. It began life as a relatively light-hearted observation of the effect of technology on the way we communicate with one another, but took a much darker turn after one of my closest friends suffered a devastating stroke. What happens to a relationship, I wondered, when all of the barriers, the verbal subterfuges, the defence mechanisms, the games we play, are stripped away?

The narrative follows a couple, Dan and Esther, through perhaps two decades of a relationship in which they obviously love one another, yet never find the right time or space to say it. In the meantime, the relationship is overshadowed by Dan’s past relationship with an unnamed woman, who has emigrated to New York, where she has become extremely successful. This is further complicated by the fact that the unnamed ex-lover has been part of the same friendship group as Dan and Esther (perhaps at uni), and is still a friend of them both. In fact, it’s Esther who, despite her jealousy (which is never fully expressed) most admires the unnamed character for her success.

What do you hope the audience thinks after watching the show?

I hope the audience will have laughed and cried at the absurdity of what we try to conceal in our relationships in the light of a later, life-changing catastrophic event.

Who do you imagine enjoying the show the most?

• Anyone who’s ever been in a relationship
• Anyone who has been amused/frustrated/infuriated by the way in which we manipulate social media for our own ends
• Anyone who has experienced, or who is close to someone who has experienced, a life-changing medical event
• Anyone who’s ever been jealous

Are there any plans for what comes next after the show has finished its run – for you or the show?

I’m working on three other shows, which are in various stages of workshopping and/or production, and a fourth which is at the writing stage. I’m hopeful of taking Here Comes Your Ghost Again to a festival – maybe Edinburgh.

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned from preparing for and participating in this show?

Writing a play is not a one-off event. Plays can develop in ways you haven’t anticipated in response to a range of stimuli, including external ones.

Is there one question we really should have asked you already?

How did I come with the title? It derives from Joan Baez’s song, Diamonds and Rust, which begins:

“Well I’ll be damned/Here comes your ghost again…”

The song is about a phone call Baez received out of the blue from Bob Dylan, with whom she’d had a relationship ten years earlier. The song title refers to her memories, the good and the bad, the diamonds and rust, of the relationship.

The parallel is with Dan and Esther being contacted via social media by an (unnamed) ex-lover of Dan’s, who has gone on to have a glamorous and successful career as a social media influencer in New York.

Will you be frequenting the bar after your show, and if so, are you hoping people might stay to ask you about the show?

Yes, absolutely!

If you could have any special guest (living or dead) attend your show, who would it be and why?

Joan Baez – because her song provided part of the inspiration and the mood for the show. And because she seems such an intelligent, sympathetic person.

This is not the first performance, although the story has developed, what do you think the audience feedback will be like now?

Previous audiences enjoyed the humour in the exchanges between Dan and Esther. Now that the show has taken a much darker turn, it will be interesting to see how they respond. I’m hoping they’ll ask what happens to Dan and Esther after the period covered by the play. Most memorable piece of feedback: ‘What’s interesting to me is their dynamic, the pauses, the intent behind their words and conversation’.

What’s the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received during your career, and how has it influenced your work on this show?

Advice from West End theatre director Bob Tomson:

‘How about placing the flashbacks in chronological order to make it easier for audiences to follow the narrative?’!”

Thank you to Callum for talking to us today. We’re eager to see how the ghosts of relationships past and present haunt the stage at the Bread & Roses Theatre.

Here Comes Your Ghost Again plays at The Bread & Roses Theatre from Tuesday 1 to Saturday 5 April.