By Lucinda Naughton

Almeida Theatre’s production of Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts, adapted and directed by Richard Eyre, is the haunting story of a family coming to terms with its past. The performance was captured live at Trafalgar Studios London on the 12th and 13th of March 2014.

Ghosts challenged nineteenth-century societal norms by exploring topics of religion, incest, euthanasia, and venereal disease; subjects that caused great controversy in its time. Ibsen’s theatrical realism, while less shell-shocking today, still certainly creates intense and engaging theatre. There’s something very interesting about having characters speak in simple dialogue and say exactly what they mean; it’s almost nostalgic to watch when theatre today is full of naturalism, reflecting real life, where characters say one thing and mean another. Eyre’s adaptation of the play cuts the original into a ninety-minute one-act piece that constantly builds in tension and emotion. Throughout, Eyre controls the dramatic rhythm beautifully.

The play explores the lives of the Alving family. Helene Alving, played brilliantly by Lesley Manville, is a rich widow, whose son has just come home after being away for a long time. When their pastor comes to visit the house, an exploration of Helene’s past and the truth about her husband gradually unfolds.

The first moments of the play allow you to drink in Tim Hatley’s superb design, a crucial part of the play that brings the eerie tone to life . Downstage is a living room with velvet olive-green chairs and a green wooden desk. The wood panelled floor is black, as are the walls, reflecting the slightly ominous feeling in the play. In the middle of the stage is a fake wall, through which you can just make out the dining room upstage. When the dining room is lit, and the wall feature is suddenly registered by the audience, the maid, Regina (portrayed by Charlene McKenna), enters and begins setting the table with a white cloth, which shines through the wall disconcertingly. The wall makes the dining room appear distorted and disjointed – very ghost-like. The set creates the sense of a real house with depth and memory, yet the wall also creates a feeling of barrier and secrecy; thus, the tone of the play is established instantly and effectively. The entire set is magically mesmerising.

 The work of the cast is very impressive, and their brilliance is integral to the dramatic arc of the play. Lesley Manville as Helene Alving is a huge presence on stage. Manville beautifully bears the weight of the central character in the play, bringing strength, intelligence, dark humour, and poise. Helene is bitterly disappointed with how her life has turned out; she delves deeply into the reasons for this, explaining to the pastor that her marriage was miserable due to her late husband’s unfaithfulness and recklessness. Yet Pastor Manders (played by Adam Kotz) can only see her duty to god. Kotz brings truthful naivety to the stage, a wonderful contrast to Manville. Jack Lowden’s portrayal of Helene’s son, Oswald, is very moving – capturing his hopelessness and tortured internal struggle. McKenna as the maid Regina brings much wit and vigour to her role, while Brian McCardie brings humour and honesty to the role of her supposed father, Jacob Engstrand.

Ghosts is a captivating and shocking play that explores familial themes and tensions which remain compelling today. Eyre’s adaptation and direction is superb and Hatley’s set design is beautifully haunting, all rounded out by an incredibly strong cast.

Watch Ghosts captured by Digital Theatre live at London’s Trafalgar Studios here.