Shirley: A Ghost Story - Stephenson Theatre The Space @ Surgeons Hall - Edinburgh Fringe Review

There is a grand and ancient history to ghost stories; tales of creepy goings on passed down from generation to generation, the spookiness of old creaking buildings and the electric spark of excitement that comes from being just that little bit scared of what might lurk in the darkest of corners shrouded in shadow.

But the ability to tell a good ghost story is a true skill, the ability to capture an audience’s attention and keep them gripped on the edge of their seats, that’s a real talent. And it is a talent that Jasmin Gleeson certainly has in spades, having the audience hanging on her every word in a seemingly effortless manner in ‘Shirley: A Ghost Story’ running at the Stephenson Theatre at The Space @ Surgeons Hall.

Written by Josh King (who also techs the show with a clever use of sound and lighting changes) and staged by his and Gleeson’s two person theatre company Moon Rabbit, ‘Shirley: A Ghost Story’ is inspired by the life of writer Shirley Jackson, and the ghost stories of M.R. James. We, as an audience, are introduced to Shirley as she on a deadline. She’s been writing short scary ghost stories, and now the publisher wants a novel, and her husband has plenty of ideas about what the novel should include. But his ideas are laden in cliches; the creepy country manor house, the strange object that summons some terrifying being and that is not the story that Shirley has in mind. For she has felt as if something has been haunting her for her entire life, something that has always been there, just out of view, just behind her, just there in the attic, always waiting.

This is the third show that Moon Rabbit have brought to the fringe, following ‘Victorine: An Artist’s Model’ in 2023, and running alongside on alternate days this year with ‘The Poetical Life of Philomena McGuinness’. Each one woman shows, and each performed solely by Jasmin Gleeson.

As Shirley, Gleeson is extraordinary. Alone on a stage with nothing more than a table, chair and a few simple props, she is able to bring the story to life. She slips from one character to another, playing both Shirley and her husband, telling stories of her childhood and the spirit that haunted her family, to holding conversations between two characters so well. She is a truly engaging performer, you could have heard a pin drop in that room as she weaved the twisting and turning tale, creating suspense throughout.

Josh King’s writing is incredibly clever; the way in which he is able to interconnect stories through varying timelines is brilliant, creating believable characters each with their own motives and stories to tell. There is a wonderful sense of simplicity here, no special effects, no jump scares. Everyone in that room is sharing in that moment, and as Shirley tells the story of the spirit who has haunted her for such a long time, it could be as simple as sitting around a fire with one women with an incredible talent for storytelling, sharing one incredible story.

If you are a fan of ghost stories, then this is in the one to see at the Fringe this year, as it will keep you on the edge of your seat, gripped on Gleeson’s every word, from start to end, and will stay with you long afterwards.

‘Shirley: A Ghost Story’ runs at the Stephenson Theatre at The Space @ Surgeons Hall until the 23^rd August (odd dates only).