Ghosts by Henik Ibsen adapted by Richard Eyre, Jermyn Street Theatre, 16b Jermyn Street, London SW1 | until 16 November 2026. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review by William Russell

Photo credit: David Monteith-Hodge

Ghosts

by Henik Ibsen adapted by Richard Eyre

Jermyn Street Theatre, 16b Jermyn Street, London SW1 | until 16 November 2026.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review by William Russell

“Splendidly performed Ibsen still shocks.”

Sometimes the parts can be better than the whole in the theatre. The performances are individually very good indeed, but the problem with this production directed by Kwame Owusu is that it never conjures up the society or the time in which it is set – we are in a kind of limbo rather than provincial Norway. In 1881 Mrs Alving is a widow about to open an orphanage in memory of her late husband with the help of the local Pastor, a god-fearing bigot with whom she was once was romantically, but hopelessly, involved. Her artist son Oswald, who lives in Paris, unexpectedly returns home and is attracted to her maid whose alleged father Engstrand – he married his wife when she was already pregnant - wants to set up a refuge for sailors, in other words a whorehouse, in which his “daughter” would work. Mrs Alving has done what a wife then was expected to do and ignored Alving’s affairs and concentrated on her son Oswald now suffering from an unexplained illness. What made the play shocking at the time was that he had syphilis and the maid turned out to have been fathered by Alving. It retains that power and Flora Montgomery is a splendidly steely Helene Alving controlling life around her as best she can, Oliver Alvin-Wilson delivers a beautifully hypocritical Manders, whose self-obsession results in the uninsured orphanage going on fire, while Cecilia Appiah as the Maid proves to be as adept as coping with the restraints society places on women as her employer. Peter F Gardiner conjures up a thoroughly unscrupulous Engstrand but that Scottish accent is disconcerting. Joe Pitts in his last confrontation with Helene is one of the saddest and most terrifying of sights. The windowless set does create the necessary claustrophobic world but also poses some problems for things the play requires to happen to take place, but the lighting and sound designers have created a terrific moment when the fire breaks out. The play came after A Doll's House and has more Ibsen wanted to say about society and the role of women, in it, but the problem with this production is it never conjures up that society. The play is one senior theatre ladies love to appear in as Helene is a tremendous role, and Flora Montgomery is as good as any. But make your own minds up – it has been deservedly given a decent run - so there is time.

Cast

Oliver Alvin-Wilson – Pastor Manders

Cecilia Appiah – Regina Engstrand

Peter F Gardiner – Jacob Engstrand

Flora Montgomery – Helene Alving

Joe Pitts – Oswald Alving

Creatives

Director – Kwame Owusu

Set Designer – Cara Evans

Costume Designer – Natalie Johnson

Lighting Designer – Ben Ormerod

Composer & Sound Designer -Francesca Amewudah-Rivers