Ghost The Musical Returns to Budapest in a New József Attila Theatre Production
The beloved supernatural romance Ghost the Musical is set to return to the Budapest stage as part of the József Attila Színház’s 2026/27 season, bringing its story of love, loss and life beyond death to a new generation of theatre audiences.
Fans of romantic musicals will have another chance to experience the story behind one of cinema’s most enduring love stories, as GHOST, a Musical joins the 2026/27 programme of Budapest’s József Attila Theatre.
The production is based on the acclaimed 1990 film Ghost, starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. The stage musical features music and lyrics by Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard, with a book and lyrics by Bruce Joel Rubin, who also wrote the screenplay for the original film.
At the heart of the story are Sam and Molly, a young couple whose happiness is suddenly shattered when Sam is murdered. Unable to leave the world of the living because of the strength of his love, Sam remains as a ghost. When he discovers that his death was part of a betrayal and that Molly is also in danger, he must find a way to communicate with her from beyond the grave.
The story combines romance, crime, comedy and supernatural drama, with the emotional relationship between Sam and Molly at its centre. A crucial part of the story is the eccentric medium Oda Mae Brown, who unexpectedly becomes the link between the living and the dead.
The musical first reached the London West End and Broadway before coming to Budapest previously in a production at the Budapest Operetta Theatre. The new GHOST, a Musical is being presented by the József Attila Theatre as part of its 2026/27 season.
Importantly, the Budapest staging is presented as a non-replica production, giving the József Attila Theatre creative team the opportunity to develop its own interpretation of GHOST, a Musical. The production is directed by Szabó P. Szilveszter, with set design by Sike Gábor, costume design by Böhm Katalin, animation by Bori Tamás, choreography by Szűts Rita and musical direction by Kéménczy Antal.
While the production is not a replica of the original West End staging, the theatre notes that certain production elements are based on the original production, directed by Matthew Warchus, with designs by Rob Howell and stage illusions by Paul Kieve, among others. This creates an interesting balance between the internationally established visual language of Ghost and a fresh Hungarian interpretation created specifically for the József Attila Színház stage.
The principal cast currently announced includes Gábor Fekete as Sam Wheat, Petra Gubik as Molly Jensen and Dániel Lukács as Carl Bruner. The Hungarian translation is by Müller Péter Sziámi.
The result promises to be more than a straightforward recreation of the familiar West End production: Budapest audiences can expect a distinctive new staging of the much-loved story, combining its internationally recognised musical identity with the creative vision of a new Hungarian theatre team.
