Ghosts

Ghosts (the original Danish title: Gengangere literally means "again walkers", or "ones who return,", also referred to as The Revenants) [1] is a play by Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906)[2].

The original text

Written in 1881, t was first staged in 1882 in Chicago, USA, in a production by a Danish company on tour and at the time The play was 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 entitled 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".

Translated into Dutch as Spoken ("Ghosts").

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 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: An English production, 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, directed by Etienne Puren, with Wilna Snyman (Helen Alving), Johan Engelbrecht (Oswald Alving), Jan Schutte (Pastoor Manders), Amor Tredoux (Regina Engstrand) and Eric Nobbs (Jacob Engstrand). Costumes by Bronwen Lovegrove and lighting by Peter Just.