Ghosts (The Globe theatre, 18/11/2023)

Family secrets and lies - how many times were they told to the children by their parents in hope that they would never have to suffer the way their parents did. Only, it never really worked. Somehow, the parents' sins are routed very deeply inside the children. It is difficult for children to explain why they feel sometimes the sadness, the darkness or the emptiness in their life or why they choose the paths they do. They know, however, that something is profoundly wrong in their life.

Henrik Ibsen's play Ghosts, although written and first staged in the 19th century, felt so relatable and contemporary. The issues, that were unveiled in this drama, the morality, the marital "duties", the relationship between parents and children or, on the wider scale, the Pastor's responsibility towards his parishioners, are very much issues of the society nowadays. In fact, they have been issues of any society at any time but the way Ibsen dealt with it is very modern, very direct, without any pathos or additional effects.

Nowadays, we talk a lot about the mental health, about the necessity to talk to people, to share with them our struggles, worries or "ghosts" that haunt us. But is not only the talking that would set us free, most importantly, it is the understanding "why" we are feeling the way we do, so that we can actually do something about it. And this was the main point of Ibsen's drama - to "wash" away the old sins so the younger generation can be free.

The main protagonist Helen is a woman, a mother and a wife, who has suffered a lot with her drunken and difficult husband Captain Alving but didn't want their son Oswald to know about it. So she sent him away at a young age. But sending him away was not the best solution either. Oswald went to Paris and became an artist, a painter, who wanted to paint joy and light but couldn't quite cope with the inexplicable darkness inside him. He shared the apartment with other like-minded people and initially enjoyed himself. However, the frivolous (and promiscuous) lifestyle eventually wore him out and led him to catch syphilis, the fatal illness of the 19th century, from which he died in the end. Only when he knew he was sick and would eventually die, he came back home to seek help and peace.

All unhappiness seemed to come from Oswald's father, the Captain Alving, the "Ghost". He was dead but still haunting Helen, who tried so hard to cope with him when they were married, and who tried hard even after his death to publicly pay respect to him. But was it only Captain Alving that was the "bad apple" in the society? Wasn't he just a victim of circumstances or the judgement and prejudices of the society? Was it not also the Pastor's duty to morally support him and Helen when they were young and struggling? Instead, the pastor would persuade Helen to keep the appearances and act as a good Christian, although she needed help and compassion.

And then, there was Regina, the beautiful young girl, who struggled with her drunken father (Jacob Engstrand) and didn't want to come back to live with him. Instead, she chose to live and serve Helen in Helen's house, where she felt in love with Oswald, only to learn later on that she was actually Oswald's half-sister.

Finally the guilt of others started to unveil and shone a different light on situations that were for so long misunderstood or overlooked. Fortunately, even though it was painful and tragic, the confession and confrontation with old sins set all of them finally free. Regina acknowledged the bravery and humanity within Jacob Engstrand, whom she thought to be her father, Helen, though loosing her son, finally confronted her past and didn't need to cover anything anymore, Jacob gain respectability, and the Pastor humility.

Ghosts was not an easy play, yet the production, the settings and the cast was so excellent that we (the public) didn't feel the time pass (the play went straight without an interval). Those, who have been to Sam Wanamaker's theatre in the Globe, know that it is quite small an intimate. With its usual "Elizabethan-style" stage covered by mirrors for this particular production, the candle light and the rich velvety fabric covering the whole floor, it felt even more so, not only physically but also psychically - we were direct witnesses of the characters' life, struggles and redemption.