Ghosts

Ghosts (the original Danish title: Gengangere literally means "again walkers", or "ones who return,") [1] is a 1881 play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) [2]. It was first staged in 1882 in Chicago, USA in a production by a Danish company on tour and at the time it was very controversial because of its subject matter, which includes religion, venereal disease, incest and euthanasia.

Translations and adaptations

Translated into many different languages, in English usually translated as Ghosts. However, Ibsen did not approve of this choice, because the original Danish title Gengangere would be more accurately translated as "The Revenants", which literally means "The Ones who Return".

Various Afrikaans translations under the title Spoke ("Ghosts") have been done, usually from the English: M.P.O. Burgers did one in the 1940's, Louis van Niekerk in the 1980's and Nerina Ferreira also did one.

Performance history in South Africa

1927: A Dutch translation entitled Spoken was performed by Mignon Sorel and Louis de Vriendt, who toured South Africa in 1927.

1928: Produced in English by the Cape Town Repertory Theatre Society, starring Cecile de Banke as Mrs Alving and W. Arthur Sewell as Oswald Alving.

1945: Produced by Joyce Burch for the Friends of Eoan, Little Theatre, Cape Town, with Helen Southern-Holt, Charles Johnman, Walter Patterson, Jacomina de Bruyn and Bernard Blumenthal.

1947: The M.P.O. Burgers Afrikaans translation Spoke was staged in the His Majesty's Theatre, Johannesburg, with André Huguenet , Anna Neethling-Pohl, Hendrik Hanekom, James Norval and Anna Cloete. (Note: Like the 1947 Afrikaans Hamlet, this production played a significant role in persuading the government to support a national theatre).

1968: Directed by Frank Shelley for NAPAC, the play opened in St John's Theatre on 24 October. The role of Mrs Alving was played by Valerie Miller. Others in the cast were: David Horner, Reinet Maasdorp, Reg Richards. Set design: Bill Smuts; costumes: Lucille Cross.

1982: Spoke, the van Niekerk Afrikaans translation was staged by PACT

1990: Spoke, the Ferreira Afrikaans translation was staged by CAPAB in the Nico Arena in August, directed by Marthinus Basson and the cast were Antoinette Kellermann, Paul Malherbe, Gustav Geldenhuys, Louw Verwey and Isabelle Mostert. Designs by Birrie le Roux, lighting by Malcolm Hurrell, stage manager Hannelie de Beer.

Sources

The Mime, 1(3), 1928.

South African Opinion, 2(6):18-19; Trek, 10(1):18, 1945.

Teater SA, 1(1) and (2), 1968.

PACT theatre programme, 1982.

Nico Malan Theatre pamphlet June-August 1990.

Go to ESAT Bibliography

Return to

Return to PLAYS I: Original SA plays

Return to PLAYS II: Foreign plays

Return to PLAYS III: Collections

Return to PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances

Return to South African Festivals and Competitions

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page