Verdict: Five stars.

FOR women everywhere, Ghost is one of those movies which holds a special place in our hearts.

The heart-wrenching tale of a girl losing the love of her life in the most dramatic circumstances had us reaching for the hankies.

And it didn’t make things any easier when the starring role was handed to the incredibly handsome Patrick Swayze.

So when a classic tale is turned into a musical, theatre fans are always a bit apprehensive.

For the ones who love the movie, your fear the stage show will ruin its magic. While musical theatre fans worry the songs don’t strike the right chord with tale.

Ghost – The Musical, however, is even more spectacular than the original film, something I never thought I would say.

In a strange way, this show seems to bring the feel of the story up to date. The choreography and the stage effects for creating the ghosts is very cleverly done. In some respects, it is even better to see this on stage than on screen.

The music is led by the classic Righteous Brother’s track Unchained Melody, but stands on its own with songs including Are You A Believer?strong enough to complement the pop hit.

Carolyn Maitland, whose CV includes Miss Saigon, Groundhog Day, From Here to Eternity and Kiss Me Kate, is more likeable than the original Molly who was played by Demi Moore.

She showcases vulnerability in a way that draws the audience in and her voice leaves goose bumps with every note.

She is backed by Hollyoakes star Andy Moss who is best known for the playing the role of Rhys Ashworth in the channel four show for eight years.

At first I wasn’t sure of Andy – he had big shoes to follow in Patrick Swayze.

But he slowly won everyone over when he performed a duet with Carolyn on Unchained Melody. His voice gave the song a new feel.

He also bounced off Jacqui Dubois who played Oda Mae, which was Whoppi Goldberg’s character in the film.

The comedy between the pair had the audience in stitches and she was really a standout star.

She was funny, and managed to make the role her own. The audience took to her and admired her ability to light up the stage.

The supporting cast added to this spectacular show with their variety of roles helping to transport the audience into the story.

James Earl Adair who played the hospital ghost and Garry Lee Netley who played the subway ghost had the audience transfixed.

They were believable and really brought these characters to life, even more so than the original movie.

Ghost – The Musical is one of the best film to stage productions that has been shown in Glasgow in recent years. The magic of the original movie seems to be magnified on stage. And the talented cast take care of a classic story and of course a pop favourite.

Catch Ghost – The Musical until Saturday, April 1