Lyric Hammersmith Theatre has announced the cast and creative team for their upcoming production of Ghosts, running from April 10 to May 10, 2025.
Reuniting the team behind the critically acclaimed Iphigenia in Splott, Gary Owen’s reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play is directed by Artistic Director Rachel O’Riordan.
The cast includes Patricia Allison (Sex Education, A Doll’s House Part 2) as Reggie, Callum Scott Howells (It’s a Sin, Cabaret, Romeo & Julie) as Oz, Victoria Smurfit (Rivals, Bloodlands) as Helena, Rhashan Stone (Tambo & Bones, Keeping Faith) as Anderson, and Deka Walmsley (Roots, Look Back in Anger) as Jacob.
Victoria Smurfit said: “As a long-time admirer of the Lyric and Rachel, to join her cast in Ghosts is a wish I had not been brave enough to wish for but one I am thrilled has now come true!”
Callum Scott Howells added: “I am very excited to be part of this project. Gary Owen’s adaptation sheds brilliant new light on Ibsen’s extraordinary piece and in Rachel O’Riordan’s hands it promises to be an exciting ride. I am looking forward to getting started and getting to know my fellow cast members.”
Patricia Allison commented: “I’m thrilled to be working on Ghosts; it feels exciting to be part of this new rendition of it.”
The creative team includes Set and Costume Design by Merle Hensel, Lighting Design by Simisola Majekodunmi, Sound Design by Donato Wharton, Music by Simon Slater, and Casting by Anna Cooper CDG. The Assistant Director is Harper K. Hefferon.
Gary Owen’s most recent play Romeo & Julie, also directed by Rachel O’Riordan, received 5-star reviews at the National Theatre and Sherman Theatre. This marks Owen’s fifth collaboration with O’Riordan, a partnership that began in 2015 with Iphigenia in Splott.
This world premiere production re-situates the classic story into the modern day, following in the footsteps of similarly re-lensed classics in the Lyric’s recent history, including A Doll’s House and Accidental Death of an Anarchist.
Rachel O’Riordan, Director and Artistic Director of the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, said: “Ghosts is my fifth time collaborating with Gary Owen and I’m delighted to be bringing his radical reimagining of Ibsen’s classic to the Lyric stage in our 130th anniversary year. In transporting the action of the play to present-day England, its themes of family loyalty and the legacy of inheritance reveal themselves to be as timely as ever. I couldn’t be prouder of the powerhouse cast we’ve assembled to tell this bold, thrilling story and cannot wait for audiences to see them in action.”
Helena is a woman on a mission. Since the death of her high-flying husband, she has dedicated herself to reclaiming his legacy. Her hard work is about to pay off, with a new children’s hospital bearing his name on the brink of opening. But when their son Oz returns to the family home for the grand unveiling, he has ambitions of his own that threaten to unravel their family’s most tightly kept secrets.
Ghosts is supported by Cockayne Grants for the Arts, a Donor Advised Fund, held at The Prism Charitable Trust.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
