| Ghost from a Perfect Place | |
| Characters: | Torchie Sparks (Female, aged 76) Travis Flood (Male, aged 78) Rio Sparks (Female, aged 25) Miss Sulphur (Female, aged 17) Miss Kerosene (Female, aged 12) |
| Setting: | "A dimly lit room in the East End of London" |
| Place: | Hampstead Theatre, London |
| Orig Lang: | English |
| Genre: | in-yer-face theatre |
Ghost from a Perfect Place is a two act play by Philip Ridley.[1] It was Ridley's third stage play and premiered at the Hampstead Theatre, London on 7 April 1994. The part of Travis Flood was played by the veteran, classical actor John Wood, for which he received general acclaim and was nominated for 'Best Actor' at the 1994 Evening Standard Drama Awards.[2] The production was the third collaboration between Ridley and director Matthew Lloyd, who had directed all of Ridley's previous stage plays[3] and would go on to direct Ridley's next play for adults Vincent River in 2000.[4]
The play is the third and final instalment in Ridley's unofficially titled "East End Gothic Trilogy", having been preceded by The Pitchfork Disney and The Fastest Clock In The Universe.[5] [6]
The play caused a great deal of controversy at its premiere due to a scene where an old East London gangster, played by Wood, is tortured by a gang of girls. The theatre critic of The Guardian, Michael Billington, described the play as "degrading and quasi-pornographic." As with most of Ridley's work, however, the critical response was deeply divided, with Sheridan Morley describing it as "a masterpiece" and John Peter, of The Sunday Times, declaring, "Ridley's work is an acquired taste and it looks like I'm getting it."
The play along with Ridley's The Pitchfork Disney and The Fastest Clock In The Universe grew in reputation years after their initial productions for being seminal works in the development of in-yer-face theatre.[7] [8] The terminology for this theatrical sensibility and style was popularised by Aleks Sierz in his 2001 book In-Yer-Face Theatre: British Drama Today, which also features a section that analyses Ghost from a Perfect Place and its initial reception.[9] Sierz has also cited the play as one of the first to be indirectly called "in-yer-face" by a critic,[10] with Paul Taylor in his review for The Independent describing the girl gang in the play as "the in-yer-face castrating trio".[11]
Torchie Sparks – Seventy six years old, her leg has been severely damaged for many years as result of a fire which burnt through her flat. She has had to endure many tragic events in her life but maintains a sense of humour about her misfortune. She is very nostalgic towards life in London's East-End during the 1960s which she refers to as “the heydays”.
Travis Flood – Seventy eight years of age. Travis was once a feared gang leader who lived and operated in Bethnal Green during the 1960s. He has been away from London for 25 years but has decided to return to the East-End.
Rio Sparks – Aged twenty-five, she is a prostitute and leader of a girl-gang called ‘The Disciples’. She lives with her grandmother Torchie.
Miss Sulphur - Aged seventeen, she is a member of ‘The Disciples’. She often tries to keep the peace between members of the gang.
Miss Kerosene - Aged twelve, she is the most hot-headed and violent of the three Disciples.
World Premiere
7 April 1994 at Hampstead Theatre, London.
Directed by Matthew Llyod.
1998 revival (Bolton)[12] [13]
At The Bolton octagon, Greater Manchester.
Directed by Lawrence Till.
1999 London revival
19 May 1999 at White Bear Theatre, London.
Directed Michael Kingsbury.[14] [15]
2014 London Revival[16]
11 September 2014 at the Arcola Theatre, London.
Directed by Russell Bolam.
. Aleks Sierz . 5 March 2001 . In-Yer-Face Theatre: British Drama Today . Great Britain . Faber and Faber Limited . 40–47 . 0-571-20049-4.
. Dan Rebellato . Martin . Middeke . Peter . Paul Schnierer . Aleks . Sierz . 17 October 2011 . The Methuen Drama Guide to Contemporary British Playwrights . https://books.google.com/books?id=ee8PpQDofCUC&pg=PA426 . London, Great Britain . Methuen Drama . 426 . Chapter 22: Philip Ridley by Dan Rebellato . 9781408122785.
. Dan Rebellato. Martin. Middeke. Peter. Paul Schnierer. Aleks. Sierz. 17 October 2011. The Methuen Drama Guide to Contemporary British Playwrights. https://books.google.com/books?id=9C4k3GvNl3cC&dq=pitchfork+disney&pg=PA425. London, Great Britain. Methuen Drama. 441. Chapter 22: Philip Ridley by Dan Rebellato. 9781408122785.