GHOSTS: Helene Alving has desperately kept secrets for too long. Now, she will finally exorcise the memory of her famous but debauched husband. With the return of her beloved artist son from years of exile in Paris, Helene is determined to liberate them both from the taboos of their dark past. But salvation is elusive and history inescapable. Will her only child pay the ultimate price?
"Terrifically Compelling" The Independent / "The Power to Shock Endures" Daily Telegraph
“Ghosts remains the great historical example of a single play’s power to disturb.” New York Times
Multiple performances from 19th July to 4th August: Go to The Curator's for specific dates and times. Bookings.
Originally banned from performance when first written in 1881, Ghosts has come to be considered one of the greatest plays of the modern era. The great Norwegian playwright, Henrik Ibsen, rips through the plastic wrapping of society to expose archetypal truths about love and living in this Greek-like tragedy of mythic proportions. He reminds us that ghosts take many forms, that as we grow older we become the ghosts of our past choices, beliefs and desires - mourning lives not lived.
In the 21st century, Ghosts is reawakened as a culture war. At its centre is Helene Alving, one of the greatest female roles in western drama. Fiercely, she rides into battle like a Valkyrie possessed in the defence of her own child. It's the contemporary grenade that Ibsen intended when he wrote his revolutionary play almost one hundred and forty years ago.
Ghosts shatters belief systems, unleashing a war on complicity, sexism and morality whilst exposing middle-class hypocrisy – smashing the cornerstones of life itself. The battleground is set. In this blistering world, it will be a fight to the death. Truth versus Deceit. Life versus Death. Ice versus Fire.
In this graveyard of memories, winter hunts us down!
Magda's is pleased to have assisted The Curators bringing this production to fruition. The Curators are independent, professional artists working together to bring classical theatre to new life. Our name is derived from a broad take on the concept of curation, a word born of the Latin for “one who cares”. Because we do.
The Curators began in August 2017 with their production of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, the first professional production of the play staged in Brisbane for 86 years, rehearsed and performed at Magda's. Uncle Vanya was also directed by Michael Beh.
This project is supported by Creative Partnerships Australia through the Australian Cultural Fund and Magda Productions.