By Talia Carlisle

Creaking floorboards, howls in the night… just another Wellington storm or is there something spooky hiding in Paramount’s new venue, The Gods?

I’m not entirely sure since I can’t find the place… But a ghostly maze of paths and Fringe staff lead me to the auditorium eventually, where I manage my less than subtle entrance, in time before my favourite line:

“Wait, are we sure that’s a ghost and not a kid that walked in?”

The ghost or kid wasn’t me (or was it?) but a 13-year-old ghost and tiddlywinks fan, Victor (Moe Hawk) who died 136 years ago, and has been confined to this small attic since, yet longs for the real world and real company.

Lucky for Victor, he’s tracked down by tween friends Caleb (Xanthe Curtain) and Billy (Sophie Badrick), who call themselves the Ghost Bros, the name of their YouTube channel which seeks out the supernatural.

Our small audience is treated like their 15 YouTube subscribers as we join their search for ghosts, watch them entertain themselves, argue, and practice their secret handshake. They also try to contact the afterlife through an ineffective Ouija Board, and argue some more over the moral rights of filming their subjects, either dead or alive.

Both the funny and serious moments are emphasised through lighting and sound effects by Tech Operator Michael Trigg. The lighting and soundtrack are well utilised, and I wish there were more effects, since they highlight the catch phrases with effects nicely, and make those without effects seem a lot emptier when there’s so many tricks thrown in throughout the rest of the show.

These effects also help make the 50-minute show go quite fast. Devised by our three actors for the Curtain Call Company, this is the team that brought us Goths Against Classical Music in 2023 and Our Place in 2024.

This show about their friendship describes “the coolest thing that ever happened to us” and answers important questions (important to Victor) like, “do modern people not go to church?”

Caleb and Billy create a safe and fun environment for the audience to join their ghost hunt as if they are searching for treasure, because everything is exciting and meaningful as a young tween, and their excitement is contagious.

It’s lovely to see the acceptance of Victor as he embarks on his own journey (and handshake) to become “one of the bros”.

Whether you’re a bro, a ghost, alive or otherwise, this show is a fun reminder of what was once important to us as kids, and what’s important still. I swear on your afterlife, having the right bros and the right company always makes life better.