Ringwood Musical & Dramatic Society [RMDS] 
The Barn, Ringwood School, Ringwood 
Chelsea Sherry 
17 April 2025
Taking on a show like Ghost: The Musical is no small feat. It’s an emotional rollercoaster of love, loss, and the supernatural, made famous by the iconic 90s film starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. Ringwood Musical & Dramatic Society certainly approached this ambitious production with heart and creativity.
The show tells the story of Sam and Molly, a couple whose world is shattered by Sam’s sudden murder. Stuck between this world and the next, Sam enlists the help of quirky psychic Oda Mae Brown to protect Molly and bring his killer to justice. It’s a heavy premise with moments of magic and RMDS brought several of those to life with flair.
The technical aspects of the show had some real highlights. The set was well thought out, and the use of lighting during supernatural moments was particularly impressive. Some of the stage effects, especially when Sam interacted with the physical world, genuinely felt a little bit magical. While I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical explanation for them, as an audience member, they were lovely little moments of illusion.
The 9-piece band delivered a consistently strong sound under the musical direction of Matt Timmins. That said, the balance between vocals and instrumentals wasn’t always quite right. At times, singers overpowered each other or the band overwhelmed the lyrics, which made it difficult to catch the diction or emotional nuance of the songs. Still, the musical foundation was undoubtedly strong.
Leading the cast was Tom Andrews as Sam Wheat, who absolutely shone in the role. With a stunning vocal performance and a great emotional connection to the character, he was a real standout throughout. He brought such a calm, compelling presence to the stage, and for me, stole the show.
Joanna Bower as Molly Jenson had some lovely moments of her own. Her vocals were particularly enjoyable when she leant into the softer, more vulnerable parts of her score and she shared real chemistry with Sam, conveying raw emotion of grief and love with great sensitivity.
Lucie Evans gave a memorable performance as Oda Mae Brown, bringing sass, humour, and brilliant timing to the stage. Her energy provided a much-needed lift throughout the show and she clearly had fun with the role. Tom Buxton, as Carl Bruner, was suitably slimy and played his character’s descent into sleaze and villainy convincingly, especially in his scenes with Molly.
The ensemble was something of a mixed bag. Individually, many smaller characters brought strength and personality to their roles, and the choreography was clearly well-rehearsed and understood. However, the big chorus numbers often felt flat, both vocally and emotionally. There was a noticeable lack of confidence and energy, and at times it felt as though the cast weren’t quite enjoying themselves which does unfortunately translate across the footlights.
Ultimately, this was a show that had a lot of potential and delivered some genuinely enjoyable moments, it just didn’t quite hit the mark for me overall. That said, it was clear that others in the audience felt differently, with a few even giving a standing ovation by the end. Perhaps this is simply one of those marmite productions some will absolutely love it, others not so much. But either way, there’s no doubt that a huge amount of effort, heart, and talent went into bringing this show to life. The show continues on the 18th & 19th April, so there are three further opportunities to go and see it.
