AND so the Royal Court's love affair with creatively punning their show titles goes on.

As we await The Netherley Hill Billies and Sisters of Mersey we are invited to the Haunted Scouse.

It's is penned by Gerry Linford who wrote Goodbye Yellow Breck Road.

You get the picture as the proud Royal Court supports home-grown theatre in front of and behind the curtains in every way they can.

This latest comedy-drama is clearly inspired by the much-loved blockbuster weepie film Ghost.

Here in Scouseland we have our own tragic couple.

A spirit called Charlie (Michael Starke) doesn't know he's gone to the other side and I don't mean Birkenhead.

He is pining in Limbo for his grieving wife Molly (Lynn Francis) who is inadvertently hitting the spirits (wine, actually but I'm not letting a good gag disappear).

Michael Starke and his real earthly wife Lynn were greeted with warm applause as they took to the stage.

Michael a versatile performer always connects as does Lynn.

Molly - who has a secret about her hubby's departure - is comforted by Linda (Julie Glover) a spriitual guide who's cosmic A to Z is missing a few pages.

Then there's the bad guy next door Gordon (Paul Duckworth) who is after more than Molly's affections.

Court favourite Paul plays Gordon the moron at an almost cartoonesque pace.

A composite of Donald Sinden's voice, Dick Dastardly's laugh and the caddish, leering Terry Thomas.

Helen Carter displays her ever-impressive vocals throughout as fleshes out ( so to speak) the character Aunt Peggy looking as though she has wandered in off the film set for Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Sadly, there are far too many revolting breaking wind gags in the script.

The show simply doesn't need such Viz comic-like inspired references.

The panto season has been and gone so can we leave such material behind us (now that's not a bad gag).

Happily, I didn't hear the word ghoulies once.

Performances throughout are what you would expect from the Court cast ensemble who always squeeze the best they can out of every play.

Director Emma Bird ensures there are plenty of local references from a famous fish and chip eaterie to a changing Liverpool culture and a nod to the Beatles.

The two-hour production features some flashing light effects on a homely living room set where ghosts and mate mortals enter and leave.

There is also an open sky visual above the stage and some screen space for inventive back video projections.

And Molly has a long-running telephone sketch with her gay son in Asia.

Peggy sings along to Dusty , Aretha, Petula and Cilla threaded through an enjoyable atmospheric '60s soundtrack.

And there's a high spirited finale in This Scouse Rom with a big heart.

4 Stars Starke Revelations!

Until March 9.

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