Ghost Musical Premieres in Manchester, Mar 2011

As previously tipped, the screen-to-stage musical adaptation of Ghost will receive its world premiere next year at the Manchester Opera House, opening for a limited seven-week season there, from 28 March to 14 May 2011, prior to a West End transfer, possibly to the Piccadilly Theatre, next summer.

Ghost will mark the musical writing debut for the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, who is writing music and lyrics with Grammy Award winner Glen Ballard (whose credits include Alanis Morrissette’s album Jagged Little Pill). Screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin has adapted his original screenplay.

The premiere production is directed by Matthew Warchus and designed by Rob Howell (amongst many other projects, the pair’s last musical together was The Lord of the Rings). Musical supervision and arrangements are by Christopher Nightingale, illusions by Paul Kieve, lighting by Hugh Vanstone and sound by Simon Baker.

The original film of Ghost, a hit in 1990, starred Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore as Sam and Molly, a couple who are mugged walking home one night. Murdered in the attack, Sam is trapped as a ghost between this world and the next, and unwilling to leave Molly who remains in danger. With the help of a phoney psychic Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg on screen), Sam attempts to communicate with and save Molly.

No casting has yet been announced for the stage version of Ghost, though Laura Michelle Kelly, currently on Broadway in Mary Poppins, has taken part in two earlier workshops.

Public booking for the Manchester season opens on 10 September 2010.