Ibsen’s The Fall of the Master Builder was a Nordic noir long before BBC 4.
It’s a tale of obsession, trolls, and of supernatural power to shape events. Writer Zinnie Harris takes that framework and gives it a whole new contemporary relevance in a world obsessed with celebrity, and with a dark dimension of hidden abuse that chimes with the shocking revelations of our times.
Only the Norwegian names feel a little incongruous as Harris transports the action into a 21st century architects’ office. Our first impression is of light and space. Only as the story develops does it become darker, and increasingly claustrophobic.
James Brining directs a gripping and truly theatrical production that showcases the mercurial talents of West Yorkshire Playhouse Associate Artist Reece Dinsdale in the title role.
Halvard Solness has won the award as the UK’s Master Builder.
Prince Charles is coming to open his greatest creation, and new business is about to pour into the practice. It should be a time of joy and celebration – but instead, in Dinsdale’s words, we find
“a man standing right at the precipice and staring down into the abyss. Someone at the very height of his success being forced to confront his deepest fears. His dread of the ambitious young, the steady decline of his creative powers, and the murky secrets of his past come right to the fore in the very moment we meet him.”
Even as the champagne flows we sense that behind a facade of bonhomie and team selfies all is not well.
PA Kaja (Emma Naomi) treads the modern office tightrope between flirtatious and assertive as she negotiates a relationship with an egotistical boss.
She’s engaged to Ragnar (Michael Peavoy) who is the son of Solness’ business partner Brovic (Robert Pickavance). Brovik is unwell, and wants to be sure Ragnar will have a place in the firm after his death. Solness is strangely reluctant to encourage young talent.
Wife Aline (Susan Cookson) is proud and supportive, but their marriage is childless.
All’s going well in the forced jollity of an office party when Solness’ friend Dr Herdal (David Hounslow), a man not averse to finding recreational uses for the drugs in his case, announces that a young student wants The Master Builder’s autograph.
From her first entrance Hilde (Katherine Rose Morley) is an enigmatic creature.
Part innocent, part manipulative she’s the catalyst for a chain of events that will expose a dark secret in the great man’s past that extends into the present day.
The second half of the play isn’t easy to watch.
Alex Lowde’s office set uses all the potential of the Courtyard Theatre space to good effect as Solness becomes trapped in a box of lies and deceit. The story unfolds in words, in the theatre of the mind, as the reputation of the great man crumbles before us.
Throughout it’s the women in the story that feel so much more complete than in the Ibsen original. In the words of Director James Brining
“Zinnie Harris’ adaptation is a mesmeric and gripping exploration of power. This retelling of such a classic text feels timely, a contemporary story addressing gender, control and privilege. Zinnie breathes agency into Ibsen’s female characters, generating terrific energy, tension and jeopardy.”
Of those women it’s Katherine Rose Morley who stands out in her portayal of Hilde.
Obsession is a tough motivation to pull off, and this interpretation opens a whole debate about agency, grooming and culpability as she flits between childlike and knowing in her relationship with Solness, and as the full extend of his past and present actions come to light.
Given the complexity of the issues explored in this adaptation the West Yorkshire Playhouse Unlocked! discussion event next week could offer useful insights into the process.
Director James Brining and members of the cast and crew will discuss the creative decisions involved in adapting the text to the modern world, with live demonstrations and explorations of key moments from the production. The Unlocked! event is on Thursday 12 October at 1030, with tickets costing £5.
(the fall of) The Master Builder plays in the Courtyard Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, until Saturday 21 October.
Production Photography by Manuel Harlan