Will I ever encounter a work that surpasses Ghost & Lady in the rest of my life?

In May 2025, I saw my first Gekidan Shiki performance and discovered the joy of musicals.
(Back to the Future)

Here are my thoughts on the performance↓↓

At that time, I wondered,

"What kind of works do these performers usually appear in?"

The question arose.

I feel like I might have started by watching an irregular work from Gekidan Shiki, which usually performs orthodox musicals, so I became curious about their other works.

Speaking of Gekidan Shiki... I have the impression that they have many Disney works.

While there are many long-running shows like The Lion King and Aladdin, I will share my thoughts on "Ghost & Lady," which is currently being performed in Nagoya. (Approximately 3000 characters)

Since it is quite long, please feel free to read from your preferred section in the table of contents.

(If you haven't seen this work yet, please be aware that I have written about the stage sets and production.)

(Information as of August 28, 2025)

About the work Ghost & Lady

It is a story about Florence Nightingale and a ghost living in a theater.

The official Gekidan Shiki website has detailed information about the synopsis, stage photos, and the original work, so please take a look.

How I learned about the work

This video appeared in my YouTube recommendations.

I became interested because it was an original Gekidan Shiki work.

Specifically,the sword stuck in the chest glowing as a prop, smoke coming out from the pierced part, and projection mapping being projected onto the background in sync—I was more interested in the stage, props, and production than the content itself.

Please take a look at the promotional video for the Nagoya performance.

The charm of the work is condensed into just a few minutes of footage. ↓↓

It started at the Shiki Theatre Aki (Tokyo) and can now be seen in Nagoya.

However, August 31, 2025, is the final performance in Nagoya...

It has been decided that it will be held in Osaka after Nagoya.

Why did I end up traveling for it?

From my husband, who was out during the long weekend, I received an email just after noon saying,

“I managed to get tickets for The Ghost and the Lady (hereafter Ghost & Lady) in Nagoya on the XXth.”

I replied, “Have a great time. Enjoy Nagoya too.”

I went to work in the afternoon.

An email arrived on my way home.

Husband: “I can probably get tickets for Ghost & Lady on the same day. Want to go?”(Before the purchase was confirmed)

Me: “I'm interested in the work, but I don't even know if it's at a level where I'd travel for it,”
I replied honestly.
(Since I live in the Kanto region, I was worried about the cost of the theater ticket plus the round-trip Shinkansen fare...)

Husband: “I'll pay for the Shinkansen fare,” came the unexpected reply!! Lol

Me: “Then, I'll go with you.”(Thank you, husband! 😭👍✨✨✨)

With that sequence of events, a Nagoya trip in late June was decided.

This was two days before the performance.

I thought about moving to Nagoya and staying overnight around the evening of the previous day, but this time, a whirlwind Nagoya trip with an 8-hour stay was decided as a day trip.

Impressions after watching the performance

・Ghost & Lady was absolutely amazing!!

・Is it not a live orchestra? (Back to the Future had a live orchestra)
→No problem at all.

・The most I have ever cried in my life.

・I cried so hard that even when I tried to suppress my voice, it still came out.
→I was wearing glasses while watching. I cried, and they fogged up from my own body heat. For a moment, I could barely see anything.

・This is what a musical is all about!!

・The impact of how it started was incredible.

・I thought it was amazing how they transformed the limited space: the main stage served as a base, walls turned into brick, walls were removed to create depth in the back, the second floor became a balcony, and it was used for scenes where the main characters fought.
→It was impressive how they represented the theater, the hospital, and many other scenes.

・It may depend on the production, but the singing level of every single actor was high!!

・There were illusions time and time again.
(Passing through walls. Flying into the sky. An out-of-body experience at the moment of someone's death. Many ghosts appearing from a certain place. Actors appearing when a chair rotates. I understand the first one, but where did the second one come from?)
→In a good way, the illusions were woven into the play naturally without standing out. It never felt unrealistic or broke the immersion.

・In the scene where they fought with swords, the sound matched every time the swords clashed, which was amazing.

・The actors were perfect for their roles; there was no sense of awkwardness, and in fact, they were so perfect that I was able to fully immerse myself.

・The love between the ghost and Nightingale.
It progresses gradually, and it feels wonderful.
What lies beyond anxiety and despair...

・I am glad I got to know the life of Nightingale.

・From the moment the show ended, there was non-stop, thunderous applause!!
It never stopped.
Even after the announcement, it continued, and the two leads came out about twice.
They hugged, kissed...❤️
Ah, I wanted this moment to last forever.

・I bought the pamphlet immediately after the show ended.
I couldn't stop crying, so I stood in the merchandise line with teary eyes and bought it (lol)

・I cried while walking to Nagoya Station, sharing my thoughts with my husband.

・The promotional video's line, 'This love knows no despair...' is exactly right!!

・From Tokyo to Nagoya, Osaka,I hope it comes back to Tokyo for a long run.

・You don't need to research too much; you can enjoy it enough just by watching the promotional YouTube video and reading the description on the Gekidan Shiki website.
→Because it is a completely original work by Gekidan Shiki. Of course, it is thanks to the wonderful original work.


・Even if you haven't read the original, the content and the music will draw you in.
Even though it was a story I was learning about for the first time, the story progressed rapidly on the wings of wonderful music without any sense of awkwardness.


・You can listen to the soundtrack on Spotify, so please try to get a feel for the atmosphere of the work.
(As for the tense scene in the second half of the soundtrack, those who haven't seen the show might be surprised, but Nightingale screaming her thoughts... I really want you to see her life with your own eyes!!)

Actually...

The final performance will, believe it or not, be live-streamed!!

Since the Osaka performances have been decided, those living in the Kansai region can watch it live at the theater, and of course, traveling to see it is also a great option...

However, back when I had never seen a Gekidan Shiki production, the price was a bit of a hurdle, and even when I thought I might want to see one of their works,

I would think, "What if I don't feel it's worth the price?"

and there were times I stopped looking into it.
(A few years ago, I looked up The Little Mermaid and The Lion King and was intimidated by the price, haha)

There are live streaming services available via the links below, so

for those of you like me who are a little interested but worried about the price!! Please, do open the door to Gekidan Shiki.
(Rest assured, I am not affiliated with Gekidan Shiki, haha)

Try comparing it to the price of seeing it in the theater...

There is also a catch-up stream, so you can watch it as many times as you like during the period.

I also plan to watch a Gekidan Shiki live stream for the first time.

Please be sure to write your thoughts in the comments.

I am still a Gekidan Shiki beginner, but I look forward to encountering many different works from now on.

I usually post articles about outings, reading, and daily life as a couple in our late thirties.

If you are interested, please take a look at my other articles.

To those who arrived at this article from X (formerly Twitter)

This article is posted on a platform called note. I would be happy if you could press the heart ❤️ button below, just like the Like 👍 button on X (Twitter) 😊

This was futarinojikan.