George Blagden (Vikings, Versailles) and Jonathan Livingstone (Bridgerton, Hamlet) will lead the world premiere of A Ghost in Your Ear at Hampstead Theatre this winter.
Written and directed by Jamie Armitage in collaboration with award-winning sound designers Ben and Max Ringham, the new headphone horror play runs from 6 December 2025 to 24 January 2026.
A chilling new concept
Set during a late-night recording session, the play follows an actor called in to narrate a ghost story – only for the terrors on the page to start bleeding into the studio itself. Using binaural sound technology, the audience wears headphones, immersing them in a 360-degree soundscape where the ghost might be closer than expected.
“It is a true privilege to have George and Jonathan as the cast to bring this new horror play to life,” said Armitage. “Their brilliance as story-tellers will be essential to guide the audience through this headphone horror show… the horror can be whispered right into the audience’s ears. It should be a horrifying delight!”
Armitage’s recent writing success includes the 2024 sell-out hit An Interrogation, which transferred to Hampstead in 2025 after winning a Lustrum Award at the Edinburgh Fringe. As a director, he co-helmed the international smash SIX: The Musical (Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Musical), alongside credits across the Bridge Theatre, Almeida and major international stages.
Blagden’s stage credits include Company (Gielgud Theatre) and Tartuffe (Theatre Royal Haymarket), with screen roles spanning Vikings and Versailles.
Livingstone’s stage career includes performances at Shakespeare’s Globe (Troilus and Cressida, Edward II), the Young Vic (Hamlet, Twelfth Night), the Almeida (Machinal) and the National Theatre (Our Country’s Good, Treasure Island). His television work includes Entitled, Bridgerton and Criminal Record.
Sound designers Ben and Max Ringham bring their celebrated expertise following acclaimed work on Prima Facie (West End/Broadway), A Doll’s House (Broadway) and Blindness (Donmar and international). Their experience in immersive audio makes them the perfect collaborators for Armitage’s chilling concept.
What to expect
Billed as “a headphone horror show”, A Ghost in Your Ear places the audience at the heart of the action. The 360-degree sound design promises whispers at the nape of the neck and footsteps in the dark—an ideal winter chiller for Hampstead Downstairs.
Health warning: the production is intentionally designed to scare, and those of a nervous disposition are advised to take caution.
The venue is currently home to the RSC’s acclaimed revival of Titus Andronicus until 11 October and will also host a revival of Indian Ink with Felicity Kendal (3 December – 31 January 2026).
A Ghost in Your Ear runs from 6 December until 24 January 2026 at Hampstead Theatre, London.
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