It might not really be every ghost story ever, but it is a whole lot of fun as Billy Morton dissects the genre with utter silliness. Rating
Good
It’s a rather bold claim: centuries’ worth of literature to be covered in only 60 minutes. So unsurprisingly Billy Morton as Billy Bones makes an early disclaimer that he isn’t actually going to do that in Every Ghost Story Ever, but rather will give just a taste of them all. Because, as he explains, most ghost stories follow the same basic structure and rules anyway. Instead then, we are treated to an hour of brilliantly corny storytelling and pseudo-TED talk, loosely based around all the classic (and some not so classic) ghost stories.
Morton is an extremely likeable storyteller. Stepping around the stage in his vintage smoking jacket, speaking in a clipped accent, he gives the impression that Bones is a man of pedigree. There’s an air of academia around him, as if he’s perhaps a historian of the genre, regaling us with his thesis on the history of these legends. Except there’s nothing else to suggest this is the case, and his backstory is never fully played into, leaving him in a strange limbo of uncertainty regarding what his role really is.
And that uncertainty leaves the whole show in a slight state of flux, never quite grounded in any one time or place. If this could be settled, it might help solidify the whole and bring it all together in a much more satisfying way. It’s already filled with glorious moments that make it more than enjoyable, yet it never quite reaches the peaks hinted at when it reaches its maddest moments. The lack of a solid framework leaves it a little too disjointed, sections thrown together without their quite demonstrating how they really all connect.
There are two great running themes that could be developed more to do just this. A running gag that adding “and you can still hear their screams” to the end of any story makes it a ghost story is used to great effect to show what is possible. Elsewhere, regular throwaway comments about Bones’ ex-wife make it more than obvious there is a reason behind all this, but it’s not fully realised come the end, not played upon quite enough to leave a lasting impression.
But when the show works it truly works. Bones’ parody ghost stories to prove many of his points are ridiculously and brilliantly bad. One story to explain MR James’ five rules of ghost stories, complete with a flipchart he can point to as each rule is broken, is just painful (in the best possible way), while a later story contains every ghost cliché you could ever hope for. It’s these moments that demonstrate Morton’s ability to put together an extremely funny tale.
You might not get what the title offers, but come on, did you ever expect that? Instead, we’re treated to a genuinely laugh out loud performance that takes the idea of those stories and turns it all on its head in the most ridiculous way. Morton is both funny and affable – all the show needs now is a little tidying up round the edges to draw out every extra laugh available.
Written by Billy Morton
Every Ghost Story Ever plays at Barons Court Theatre as part of GrimFest until Wednesday 28 October.
