A Ghost in Your Ear is one of the single creepiest things I’ve ever seen on or off Broadway. The simplistic premise is an exercise in creativity, weaving a compelling narrative from almost nothing. The show is set entirely in the booth of a recording studio, as two friends get together to record a creepy ghostly experiment. Through compelling character dynamics, deeply intimate staging, and the sheer perfection of a headphone gimmick, A Ghost in Your Ear whispers its twisted delights for a brisk hour and twenty minutes. A nightmarish cacophony of sound awaits frightened theatregoers inside the Minetta Lane Theatre.
A two-hander, this show features just a duo of men on stage: Owen Campbell from Ti West’s X trilogy, and The Pitt actor Lucas Iverson. They both toy with each other and with audience expectations, as the show’s shocking main narrative quietly unfolds. Iverson does the majority of the vocal workings, filling in as a character ironically also named Lucas. Lucas’s work has dried up, and he needs money. Sid (Campbell) mentions that an audio startup experimenting with ghost stories will pay well for his services. Sid, an expecting father, wants Lucas to capture the “real fear” in his performance, and that prompt is most certainly followed. Lucas’s unbridled enthusiasm for the material takes a gripping, detailed script and breathes life into it. He essentially plants himself into the twisted tale being told.
It is certainly noteworthy to make mention of the tale itself. A man whose estranged father has recently died gets called to sort out his father‘s affairs. He ends up volunteering his own services to go and clear out the home. Directly disobeying his father’s orders, this lead character finds much more than he bargained for within the walls of his father’s eerie estate. The premise is tripping with spooky gothic atmosphere, and every scratchy, performative bit of Lucas‘s personality spilled into it only enriches it deeper.
Meanwhile, objects in the recording studio start to move without reason. Whispers are heard, lights flicker, doors creak open. The isolation creeps in, underlined by lighting design from Ben Jacobs that seamlessly darkens whole sections of the booth. As the haunted story unfolds, Lucas’s sanity unfurls along with the booth itself. With the two juxtaposing stories playing out, the audience clings to every sound. Even the smallest detail may provide a clue as to what is truly just under the surface.
Being a seasoned horror buff, it was pretty easy to spot the inspirations from The Ring and It Follows. This is meant in the most flattering of ways, considering each of those are among my favorite horror movies of all time. It also gives a hint as to the flavor of horror we are gifted here, with some genuine tension building up to some truly memorable scares. Fellow spooky season favorite Paranormal Activity also plays with structure in a unique way, but the headphones element of A Ghost in Your Ear makes it truly an original, must-see gem.
From the second, you sit down in the Audible Theater, a disquieting voice employs you to test the headphones. A voice caresses your right ear, then your left, and that’s just a sample of the ways the show will toy with your senses. The tiniest crinkle of the mic, gurgle of water, and gnarly scratch can leave an entire audience in captive attention. It makes for an incredibly intimate experience unlike anything else on stage. I truly found this format to be immersive from beginning to end, and never once grew bored thanks to the rapid pacing. Playwright Jamie Armitage clearly knows how to work a genre on the stage, and his material sings with its biting terror.
There’s no other way to describe or absorb this material than through the headphones. While a similar approach would be possible in a different medium, the element of listening actively provides an extra layer of eerie freakish. I have to say that this show might be a new favorite for me, particularly as it left me shaken to my core by the time it concluded. The flashes of violence and haunting, disturbingly real mythology left me with a weight hanging over my shoulders, and an eerie whisper in my ear.
Both actors do a decidedly admirable job at developing characterizations despite the distant nature of the recording booth aspect. Sid practically mocks Lucas as he becomes increasingly more paranoid by the second. Conversely, Lucas’s erratic and altogether freaked out antics make him a compelling character to follow. The final image is a haunting one, even though I could see its inevitability coming from a mile away. Horrifically disturbing and potently memorable, A Ghost in Your Ear will burrow deep inside and never let go.
The ASMR creepiness of A Ghost in Your Ear is now playing performances at Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre. For ticketing information on this strictly limited engagement, please head over to the official website.
