I think it is well established now that we, at KimBo Theatre, love a ghost story. We first started creating short ghost story nights in 2014. I can’t quite believe it has been 10 years.
We have been very lucky to have some super talented writers working with us throughout the years and this Halloween’s Haunted Tales of The Sea aboard The Golden Hinde will be no different although with a delightful sea-faring twist....why not?
However, it started me thinking about why we, and I don’t just mean KimBo Theatre, but humans in general are so fascinated by ghost stories?
It isn’t a modern thing. As early as the first century A.D., the Roman author Pliny the Younger penned one of the first notable ghost stories. Pliny wrote that the spectre of an old man with a long beard, rattling chains, was haunting his house in Athens. There have even been engravings found that date back to 1500BC that historians believe depict representations of ghosts.
As a female-led theatre company, we also find it fascinating how the writing of stories was a predominately male pastime, until the mid-19th century when the ghost story hit the height of its popularity and a shift occurred. In fact, it’s estimated to be around 70% of ghost stories published in British and American magazines in the mid 19th century were written by women. A distinctive leaning towards the psychological ghost story flourished through the pens of these female writers, something I personally favour in ghost story writing.
So, I started asking everyone I met why they liked ghost stories and despite a few shrugs and “don’t know reallys” I found the reasons varied massively.
My KimBo co-founder Kim told me she enjoys ghost stories because for her amongst other things, “it’s a connection to those loved ones that have passed.” “That there is a whole realm existing alongside us that we are asleep to for the majority of the time. Also, the way they key into our imaginations”. One friend stated it was, “the absurdity of them that was a great remedy for the banality of his every day”. KimBo writing partner Penny Faith believes that, “It’s something to do with not wanting to be alone. The same impulse that is in any literary engagement. Someone else, something else, different lives”. Whilst, Haunted Tales of the Sea writer Nick Myles very succinctly stated it was, “being in the presence of something that shouldn’t be possible.”
For my part, I love ghosts stories because, like riding a rollercoaster, I enjoy the adrenaline rush, the thrill of being scared by a story but in a controlled way.
However, my favourite response was from a friend who stated that they, “categorically do not believe in ghosts and think it is ridiculous that anyone could”. A long debate between us began before they continued, “but I absolutely love a good ghost story”. When I expressed that I did not understand they continued “Well, it’s just escapism, isn’t it? I watch it and enjoy it in the same way that I enjoy a film like Alien, but I don’t really believe there are sticky aliens waiting in far reaches of the universe that can bleed acid - it’s escapism through entertainment”.
There was something poetically simple about this response that really stuck out for me, that ghost stories are entertaining. And isn’t that one of the main reasons we go to the theatre – to be entertained? Well, we hope it is otherwise what are we doing it for? So, whatever your reasons for enjoying ghost tales or even if you don’t believe in ghosts, we hope you can join us This Halloween aboard The Golden Hinde for some Ghostly Entertainment.
Here's to ten years more.
Written by Bryony Thomas 24/09/24
To purchase tickets to Haunted Tales of The Sea go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/haunted-tales-of-the-sea-tickets
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