Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman’s Ghost Stories is one of those shows that can be fiendishly tricky to review. Much akin to that other spooky offering doing the rounds across the UK, 2:22 – A Ghost Story, we’re firmly in say-too-much-and-you’ll-spoil-it territory here.

Still, firmly ensconced with that fear, let’s switch on the flickering torch and shine a light on whether this creepy outing is truly as spine-tingling as its marketing would suggest.

Theatre isn’t exactly shy of ghostly or horror imbued evenings – The Woman in Black and the aforementioned celebrity carousel of 2:22 being obvious examples. The West End recently lit up to the sci-fi horror mixtape of Stranger Things: The First Shadow, and those who like their atmosphere a la Christie, there’s always tentpole The Mousetrap.

“…a genuinely creepy, at times startling jolt of pure horror.”

Having seen them all, it comes as something of a welcome surprise that Ghost Stories comfortably casts the spectre of its competition aside when it comes to pure tension and frights. This is a genuinely creepy, at times startling jolt of pure horror. It isn’t quite as cerebral as Woman in Black or character-centric as, say, 2:22, but it’s quite possibly, jump for jump, the scariest thing you can sit down and watch in a theatre right now.

Stories hinges around a central narrator – paranormal skeptic and psychologist Professor Goodman (Dan Tetsell). Goodman sets out his stall with a direct address to the audience, flashing up some viral and meme friendly case studies, and introduces us to the idea of the ‘percipient’ – an individual who believes they have seen (or perceived… see?) a ghost or other such otherworldly nastiness.

Goodman serves up some fun audience participation examples, before going on to share the three interviews and accounts of ghostly goings-on that he has always found the most unsettling or difficult to disprove.

“Nick Manning’s sound work and James Farncombe’s lighting are perhaps the real MVPs here, embedding a sense of inescapable dread from the moment you enter the auditorium.”

It is these three spooky vignettes that form the main bulk of Stories run time. We see sardonic night watchman Tony (Birds of a Feather’s David Cardy) encounter strange goings on in during his shift at a sanitarium. Nervy Simon (Eddie Loodmer-Elliott) ends up stranded with a broken down car after a party with some… unexpected company. And workaholic Mike (Casualty and Holby City star Clive Mantle) begins to uncover quite why his pregnant wife is reluctant to go into the new nursery he’s had decorated for her.

Dyson and Nyman, along with director Sean Holmes, have crafted a cracking and regularly thrilling ride. Brilliantly paced, Holmes proves a dab hand at knowing when to simply allow the inherent tension of a scene to simply swallow its audience up by itself. Nick Manning’s sound work and James Farncombe’s lighting are perhaps the real MVPs here, embedding a sense of inescapable dread from the moment you enter the auditorium. It’s a seriously atmospheric and unsettling arena.

There’s some impressive stagecraft and technical wizardry on show, too. Again, to get into the specifics would ruin the frightening fun, but some of the special effects, stunt and costume work from Scott Penrose, Jonathan Holby and Becky Gunstone are seriously impressive (not to mention terrifying).

Given that an awful lot of Stories’ time involves its central cast wandering around looking frightened, a lot of the connection needed with the audience falls on its small but solid company. All of the three central ‘percipient’s are great in their individual segments, with Cardy a lot of fun as the cantankerous caretaker, and Loodmer-Elliott particularly endearing as a rather hapless driver (who may or may not have even passed his test). TV favourite Mantle gets a little more to do toward the end of the show, and Dan Tetsell is fantastic throughout as Professor Goodman. Whether giving deadpan reactions to the close of each vignette, or gradually threading in the sense that something isn’t quite… right about his own interjections, it’s a fun and absorbing performance that threads the entire piece together perfectly.

If you’re in the market for a fright and a fun evening of jumps and scares at the theatre, Ghost Stories is an easy recommendation. At roughly ninety minutes without an interval, it is a taut, regularly gripping and occasionally terrifying dive into the things that go bump in the night. Boasting some impressive visuals, effects work and spirited performances (forgive the pun) this is one set of Stories that will thrill and chill, and maybe even haunt you come bed time.

But don’t worry, there’s nothing under there.

…I promise.