Reading completed: This week I read the Guardian review of Ghosts performed in 2014 written by Lyn Gardner. I found it quite interesting but one thing I found very interesting was the reading of Leslie Manville’s character Mrs. Alving.  

“This Helene is both magnificent – you totally believe that she ran the estate and made it prosper – and pitiful; still hoping for miracles and yet tainted with disappointment. Manville plays her not as a victim but as an intelligent and passionate woman whose tragedy is that she is all too aware that by creating myths around her dissolute husband and living a lie she has fed the hungry ghosts that will destroy her.” (Gardner 2014) 

I could not help but compare this to the Beglau’s Mrs Alving in Nübling’s 2007 performance. 

“Mrs. Alving (Bibiana Beglau), in the grotesque angularity of her movements and her intensity, seems almost witch-like, and she seems to exercise a kind of demonic power over the entranced Manders (Robert Beyer).” 

Although it sounds obvious it was interesting to see the same character played in completely different ways. This confirmed for me that theatre is in fact interpretive and reassured me that whatever I create, would be ok as it is my reading and interpretation of the play. 

When creating pieces there is heavy weight to do justice of the original piece and by reading both reviews and comparing them showed to me that different does not mean wrong but instead highlights a different understanding/interpretation of character and drive.  

After reading the review I became aware that there was a version online of it, which I later watched and thoroughly enjoyed. This made me feel confident about the work which I was producing.  

Gardner, L (2014) Ghosts – review. The Guardian, 27 Jan.  Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/jan/27/ibsen-ghosts-review-trafalgar-studios-theatre (Accessed: 16 April 2020) 

Carlson, M (2007) Ghosts. The Schaubuhne, Berlin. Spring/Winter, 2007. Ibsen News & Comment 2007, Vol. 27, pg16-18 

Due to the corona virus we now cannot work in groups, instead we will be creating a monologue. There is a lot of freedom around this task which is good as it allows everyone to explore the text differently. At this moment in time I am certain that I am wanting to do a piece from the perspective of Mrs. Alving however I have not thought about anything really in depth. I am sure that I will still focus on Mrs. Alvings thoughts and feelings presented in Act Three as we focused on act three as a group and I feel I have a good understanding of it.