Ghosts (by Tobias and Violeta)

Tonight we came more satisfied from the theatre than the other time. We saw GHOSTS by Henrik Ibsen in the theatre SCHAUBÜHNE which is located in the western part of the city (http://www.schaubuehne.de). When Berlin was separated by the wall (Hello Bibi!) it was one of West-Berlin´s most famous theatres but now, after the reunification, it has to compete with at least four other important theatres in the former eastern part.


Accompanied with jazz-music, the story of Helene Alving, widow of a womanizer, and her son Osvald who felt in love with the families´ maid is arranged around a large table. It is the only requisite on stage. And at that table all family-secrets get disclosed: Osvald and the maid are half-brother and half-sister, Osvald is sick to death from Syphilis, his mother tries to cope with the reminiscence of her unhappy marriage… Everybody is talking through microphones which are fit on the table.
The staging by Sebastian Nübling abstracts the story from the context of a Norwegian family in the late 19th century, the stage design creates the corresponding “coolness” and the text is abridged and actualized in a moderate, humorous way. And the actors are great. We had a really nice evening out in the West!