When Ghosts premiered in 1882 it was received with torrents of negative reviews. Words like ‘nauseating’ and ‘downright dull’ were bandied around newspapers and Ghosts quickly became one of the most scandalous plays of its time. It does seem a bit of a pity that adjectives used in the late 1800’s could be easily recycled and reused for a review of an adaptation of the same play in 2014.
Despite the painful overacting on the behalf of the two younger cast members, Phillip Quast, Linda Cropper and Richard Piper all brought a fair amount of oomph to the table with their performances. Piper, as the groping father with a bung leg and a penchant for booze brought the only comedic relief through the entire performance. Linda Cropper was regal and as fiercely feminist as you can be in the 1800’s but her characters downfall in the final minutes of the play brought out an uncomfortably hammy performance on which the play ended. Phillip Quast is as great as ever with his deep, booming voice that constantly felt as if he were on the verge of breaking out some musical theatre number.
The set for Ghosts was incredibly bleak and somber with rotting planks of wood peeling up from the floor and a long glass wall lit from behind, catching the rain running down each pane. The sound design was foreboding and minimal but at each instance accurately captured the intended mood – as goes for lighting. It does seem that on reflection, the sound and lighting aspects captured more thrill and suspense than the acting and direction itself.
