Ghost Sonata

arts, performing, fiction, drama · EN

Step into the haunting world of The Ghost Sonata (Spöksonaten), a mesmerizing three-act play by the renowned Swedish playwright August Strindberg. First staged at Strindbergs Intimate Theatre in Stockholm on January 21, 1908, this pivotal work marks a significant moment in the evolution of modernist drama. In this chamber play, Strindberg weaves a surreal narrative where the supernatural coexists with the mundane—ghosts wander in broad daylight, a stunning woman is ensnared in the form of a mummy hidden away in a closet, and a household cook drains all vitality from the meals before serving them to her unsuspecting masters. Follow the journey of a naive young student who romanticizes the lives of the residents in an elegant Stockholm apartment building. Guided by the enigmatic Jacob Hummel, he soon discovers that this seemingly sophisticated abode is a labyrinth of deceit and despair, revealing that the world is a hell where suffering is a pathway to salvation. (Summary by Wikipedia)