GHOSTS

By Thomas Kiroy

PREMISE

There’s life that isn’t life at all.’

In this freely adapted version of Heinrik Ibsen’s Ghosts (1881), Thomas Kilroy  examines ways in which the sins of a father are visited on children in a family frightened by ghosts.

Ghosts deals with the futile struggle to escape outdated ideals as a mother, (Mrs.  Alward) tries to shield her son from the moral and sexual lapses of his late father.

Forces of the past and present collide in this biopsy of the interactions between private and public lives, between Church and secular values, and of the characters’ prospects as they try to make up for lost time where there’s no space left for the truth.

Phyllis Ryan

Phyllis Ryan the Doyenne of Irish theatre through her Theatre Company GEMINI PRODUTIONS, had the idea in 1988 to commission esteemed Irish Author Thomas Kilroy to create a version of GHOSTS based on the play by Hendirk Ibsen  for the "HIV Generation".

Development

Phyllis received the script and asked me to accompany her on a visit to Tom Kilroy at the University of Galway where he was a lecturer to discuss the adaptation. We have a frank and warm discussion, and this resulted in a fantastic and daring script from Tom. Phyllis then set about casting the show and  went into co-production with The Abbey Theatre to create and present it.

Casting

Phyllis was a genius at casting and managed to get several of her "old friends " to join the company - Doreen Hepburn, David Kelly, Conor Mullan, Kevin Flood and Noelle Browne, 

The Show was to be designed by Bronwen Cassin  who for health reasons had to withdraw, and Geraldine O Malley completed the work.

My father Leslie Scott ( who had been lighting Designer at the Abbey Theatre for 40 years and chief Technician ) did the lighting -



Music was by Wim Mertens.

Photographs by Fergus Bourke.

World Premiere

The premier too place at the Abbey Theatre during the Dublin Theatre Festival in 1989 on the Peacock Stage.

Touring

The production toured to the Townhall Theatre in Galway and was invited to the Stonybrook International Theatre Festival in New York State