Ghosts Tickets
Gary Owen’s gripping reimagining of Ghosts comes to the Lyric Hammersmith in 2025, directed by Rachel O’Riordan.
Tickets for Ghosts at the Lyric Hammersmith
Get ready for a powerful new adaptation of Ibsen’s Ghosts, coming to the Lyric Hammersmith in April 2025. Playwright Gary Owen (Iphigenia in Splott) and Artistic Director Rachel O’Riordan (Killology, Romeo and Julie) reunite to bring this contemporary reimagining of the classic play to life. Set in the present day, Ghosts delves deep into family secrets, legacy, and the personal struggles of those left behind.
About Ghosts
“When you spend your life in thrall to a monster, you find yourself trying to make monstrous things somehow bearable.”
Helena has worked tirelessly to preserve her late husband’s legacy since his death. A high-flying figure in their community, his name is soon to grace a new children’s hospital that Helena has fought to establish. But as their son Oz returns home for the hospital's grand unveiling, he brings with him ambitions that could unravel the family’s most closely guarded secrets.
In this gripping contemporary adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts, Gary Owen explores the haunting consequences of family, ambition, and hidden truths. This modern retelling invites audiences into a world where past sins collide with present aspirations, and where the desire to uphold a reputation can be as dangerous as it is necessary.
The Ghosts Cast and Creative Team
Directed by Rachel O’Riordan, known for her bold and visceral direction in critically acclaimed productions such as Killology and Romeo and JulieGhosts promises to deliver the intense and emotionally charged performances for which her productions are known. O’Riordan and Gary Owen previously collaborated on Iphigenia in Splott, which received rave reviews for its raw, powerful storytelling, and this new collaboration is expected to bring the same dramatic depth to Ibsen’s reimagined classic.
The cast includes BAFTA nominee Callum Scott Howells (It’s A Sin, White Rabbit Red Rabbit) as Oz, Patricia Allison (Sex Education, Twelfth Night) as Reggie, and Victoria Smurfit (Rivals, Translations) as Helena, with Rhashan Stone (Tambo and Bones, Keeping Faith) as Anderson and Deka Walmsley (Roots, Look Back in Anger) as Jacob. Owen’s talent for drawing out emotional nuance in complex characters is likely to create a production filled with tension and heartbreak, making Ghosts a must-see for theatre lovers.
The History of Ghosts on Stage
Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts first shocked audiences in the 19th century with its unflinching look at societal norms, inheritance, and moral hypocrisy. Since then, it has become a classic, adapted and reinterpreted for modern audiences around the world.
Gary Owen’s new version of Ghosts continues this tradition, bringing a fresh contemporary lens to Ibsen’s timeless themes. With its focus on family dynamics, ambition, and deeply buried secrets, this adaptation offers a new way to engage with Ibsen’s enduring questions about legacy and personal responsibility. Owen’s collaboration with Rachel O’Riordan guarantees a powerful and provocative reimagining of the play, one that stays true to its roots while pushing the story into the modern day.
Book Ghosts Tickets at the Lyric Hammersmith
Don’t miss Ghosts at the Lyric Hammersmith—an intense and gripping contemporary adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s masterpiece by Gary Owen. Reuniting the acclaimed team behind Iphigenia in Splott and Killology, this production is set to captivate audiences when it opens in April 2025. Secure your seats early and prepare for a theatrical experience that will haunt you long after the curtain falls.
Ghosts London Reviews
User Reviews
A very enjoyable update from Gary Owen of Ibsen's classic - although it takes some liberties, especially with the end of the play (and not as essential as his previous update of "Iphigenia"). The acting style is heightened, which doesn't always suit Read more
This is quite gripping throughout. A bare stage, decorated with pictures of the back of a man's head on the wall: a couch: a side table that doubles as a minibar. A door on either side. The wall at the back is glass, with some swirling, gaseous materThis is quite gripping throughout. A bare stage, decorated with pictures of the back of a man's head on the wall: a couch: a side table that doubles as a minibar. A door on either side. The wall at the back is glass, with some swirling, gaseous material on the other side - supposed to be low cloud cover, wherever this is set. Interestingly, from time to time - coming back from the interval, for instance - I caught sight of the reflection of the audience in the glass, and wondered whether that was another form of ghost.. But the ghost in this is the father who's passed away, and after whom his widow wants to name the children's hospital (orphanage in the original, but of course they're not such a thing any more) that she's been working hard with a charitable trust to build. She breezes on, presenting an indomitable figure - certainly, her son doesn't have much time for her, blames her for packing him off to boarding school. There's also the daughter of a local tradesman, who works for the trust, and whose now-deceased mother also worked for this rich lady's late husband. And one of the trustees has dropped by for a chat.. What the evening reveals is quite startling - as it was in the original. And it's all to do with the dead man. In the original, he had syphilis, which he seems to have passed on to his son - back in the day, it was anathema to speak about STDs. In this - as we agreed, afterwards - excellent rewrite, they haven't just changed some names to suit a more international audience, changed the orphanage to be a children's hospital, and put the characters in modern outfits - no, they've also considered what it was that was so controversial about the original, and rewritten it to be equally startling to a modern audience. The incest was actually in the original. But, with all the action having taken place by the interval, the second half is left free for the fallout, and for a much-needed discussion of the themes that are raised. I didn't have much of a look at the trigger warning on the way in - I never do - but with domestic abuse, and a very contentious debate that rages over the nature of consent.. not to mention suicide.. there's a lot to discuss. A highly topical play then, as it happens - and certainly not falling foul of the criticism of so many plays that don't allot much time to discussion of the issues raised. Got a standing ovation, too. Rather an excellent play, a particularly sensitive rewrite of the original. With the same creative team behind the terrific Iphigenia in Splott (which also played here), hardly a surprise. Read more