Why Richard Eyre's Ghosts works so well on film

The Almeida Theatre production of Ibsen's Ghosts took home three gongs at the 2014 Olivier Awards for Best Revival, Best Actress for Lesley Manville and Best Supporting Actor for Jack Lowden.

Ahead of the third title in their West End Theatre series, we chat to Robert Delamere and Tom Shaw from Digital Theatre about why the production was so successful and why it is so perfect for the big screen.

The play caused huge controversy when it was released, and still packs a punch to this day

Robert Delamere: It was banned in 1891 by the Lord Chamberlain and critiqued as 'a dirty deed done in public'. In Richard Eyre‘s triple Olivier Award-winning production the play retains its power to shock, with deftness and interplay between the stellar cast heightening the experience for the audience. The final scene with Jack Lowden and Lesley Manville is an unforgettable and gut-wrenching experience – unmissable.

It's Ibsen's follow up to A Doll's House, continuing the theme of dubious morality

RD: Its cry of indignation against conventions that were crippling the human soul still resonates profoundly today. Where there is indifference in human relations and lack of understanding you feel Ibsen's works dramatise the friction against life and its injustices.

Director Richard Eyre is at the top of his game

RD: I was a young staff director at the National Theatre working with Stephen Daldry on An Inspector Calls when Richard was at the helm. He's someone I've always admired, a man who could enliven and bring to exacting life the heart of a play. His work with actors is exemplary, from Judi Dench's 'burnt into the memory' performance in the film Notes on A Scandal, to widely admired ensemble work in Guys and Dolls and the current Pajama Game. Fierce intelligence and deep passion are a winning combination.

Ghosts won 3 Olivier Awards, including Best Actress for Lesley Manville

RD: I've had the privilege of examining the lead performances in the production whilst editing the Digital Theatre version for cinema. Lesley's performance is deservedly praised and immaculately constructed, I admired it more and more as I worked on the final version. In her work with Jack Lowden you are watching a great artistic partnership. I think he will have a significant career and has the sensibility and technique to be amongst our best actors.

Watching plays at the cinema is a movement that enables everyone to experience excellent theatre

Tom Shaw: By being able to screen Ghosts at the cinema, more people from around the country can have the opportunity to see this fantastic, critically acclaimed and award winning production, previously only available to audiences who were lucky enough to see the play in London. It enables everyone to experience excellent theatre that they might previously have missed out on, and that is something I am very excited about.

The production is captured in high definition, recreating the immersive experience of being at the theatre

TS: As with all Digital Theatre productions, Ghosts was filmed with multiple high definition cameras across a couple of performances. In collaboration with Richard Eyre, we used all the footage we had to craft together the film of the play, meticulously following the emotional narrative. The result is a film that looks and sounds incredible, and one that gets the viewer as close as we can to the immersive experience of theatre.

Ghosts is screened in UK and Irish cinemas for one night only – Thursday 26 June #GhostsonScreen

TS: Those who saw Ghosts live in the theatre felt that they had witnessed a rare combination of a company of actors, a director, and a creative team at the very top of their game. And with 3 Olivier Awards this year to its name, the critics clearly agreed on that too. The screening of Ghosts on the 26th June is a chance for everyone to share in that unique experience at the cinema – make sure you don't miss out.