Acknowledgement of Country
The Curators’ Theatre acknowledge the country on which we work, a place of age-old ceremonies of celebration, initiation and renewal. We acknowledge the traditional custodians and caretakers of this land, the Turrbal and Jagera people as the first Australians, and pay respect to the Elders, past, present and emerging. We honour all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and express gratitude to the artists, storytellers, painters, weavers, dancers and musicians of this ancient culture who have, through their endurance and creativity, inspired us.
Diversity Statement
At TCT, we value individual differences. Diversity is about learning from each other regardless of our cultural background and bringing those differences into the creative space to broaden experiences, understanding and knowledge. When diversity flourishes, true transformation can happen.
For us, creativity and artistry thrive on diversity and inclusivity; hearing each others’ stories, respecting each others’ different pathways, celebrating the unique qualities of each person regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual identity, personality, age, education and background. We applaud and embrace our many different pathways through life and recognise that diversity and inclusion are fundamental to bringing people together.
Photography by Helen Strube
Production Sponsor:
Magda Productions
Helene Alving has desperately kept secrets for too long. Now, she will finally exorcise the memory of her famous but debauched husband. With the return of her beloved artist son from years of exile in Paris, Helene is determined to liberate them both from the taboos of their dark past. But salvation is elusive and history inescapable. Will her only child pay the ultimate price?
Originally banned from performance when first written in 1881, Ghosts has come to be considered one of the greatest plays of the modern era. The great Norwegian playwright, Henrik Ibsen, rips through the plastic wrapping of society to expose archetypal truths about love and living in this Greek-like tragedy of mythic proportions. He reminds us that ghosts take many forms, that as we grow older we become the ghosts of our past choices, beliefs and desires - mourning lives not lived.
In the 21st century, Ghosts is reawakened as a culture war. At its centre is Helene Alving, one of the greatest female roles in western drama. Fiercely, she rides into battle like a Valkyrie possessed in the defence of her own child. It's the contemporary grenade that Ibsen intended when he wrote his revolutionary play almost one hundred and forty years ago.
Ghosts shatters belief systems, unleashing a war on complicity, sexism and morality whilst exposing middle-class hypocrisy – smashing the cornerstones of life itself. The battleground is set. In this blistering world, it will be a fight to the death. Truth versus Deceit. Life versus Death. Ice versus Fire.
In this graveyard of memories, winter hunts us down!
Original graveyard photography by Tom Coyle, with Lisa Hickey as Helene
“Ghosts remains the great historical example of a single play’s power to disturb.” New York Times
"The Power to Shock Endures" Daily Telegraph
"Terrifically Compelling" The Independent
CAST & CREATIVES
|
Helene Alving |
Lisa Hickey |
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Pastor Manders |
Tom Coyle |
|
Oswald |
Patrick Shearer |
|
Regina |
Lauren Roche |
|
Engstrand |
Warwick Comber |
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Director / Designer |
Michael Beh |
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Sound Designer |
Brian Cavanagh |
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Lighting Designer |
Bethany Scott |
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Voice Consultant |
Helen Howard |
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Stage Manager |
Elizabeth Wherrett |
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Assistant to the Director |
Matthew Hodgson |
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Installation Realiser |
Design Bordello |
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Wardrobe |
Jan Mandrusiak |
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Sound Technician |
Nick McMillan |
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Marketing |
Maureen Frame |
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Production Photographer |
Helen Strube |
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Ticketing & Website |
Peter Crees |
|
Front of House |
Adrienne Costello |