My Master Builder Review – Ewan McGregor’s fraudulent strength is demolished | theater

HThe Icarus-like architect of Enriik Ibsen is undoubtedly the patrician protagonist of his game The Master Builder. The women of this piece rotate like Akolythen around him, from his mandatory woman to a loving accountant and controversial, the romanticized figure of Hilda, who reminds him of “kisses” between them when he was a renowned builder, and only one child.

In Lila Raicek’s modern attitude, his wife – clever, completed and angry – is the pivot. Henry Solness (Ewan McGregor) is a “Starchitect” and Elena Solness (Kate Fleetwood) is the head of a publishing empire that arranged a dinner and invited Henry’s long-triggered student Mathilde (Elizabeth Debicki) with whom he had a trysin 10 years ago when the boy from Solness died. Love was then mixed with grief. Now it is ignited again when Mathilde reminds the solution of what they meant later. “All of these grief and all this rapture,” says Solness, when his memories come back.

Directed by Michael Grandage, this is more Ibsen-Adjazent than an adaptation or a straight translation. Mathilde receives power and agency: she is a journalist and has written a novel that is inspired by her affair. There are disposable clues on Norway, but the play plays in the Hamptons with a beautiful symbolistic by Richard Kent, the design of which contains the spots of David Hockney in the flat blue sea in the background and a modernist white structure in the foreground, which the chapel has rebuilt (Henry was rebuilt 10 years ago and took life in his young son).

This is a game about the result of the infidelity in a marriage and the painful anger of a woman (Ibsen’s Hilda was apparently inspired by real associations that he had with younger women). Fleetwood is magnetic like Elena and she deepens McGregor, who is happy in his relationship with Mathilde, even though she plays the older man. He seems to be really in love and does not have the maintenance of the narcissist he should be.

There is also no chemistry between Mathilde and Henry, although both actors are able in their parts. Mathilde’s novel is called master and there are some efforts to cause psychosexual performance dynamics between them, but this does not contain enough warmth.

The script calculates with the problematic aspects of Ibsen’s piece in many ways, but also complains. There is talk of Henry’s care of the young Mathilde and Elena tries to create a #metoo moment of the public shade, but hesitates Mathilde to define her experiences as such.

The collision between father and son from Ibsen’s play is treated between Henry and Ragnar (David Ajala), an influencer and rival architect and not with Henry’s son. Instead, female camaraderie, betrayal and generation difference are examined. Elena’s assistant Kaja (Mirren Mack) mocks her so -called feminism and Mathilde speaks of how Elena “taped” her after her affair with Henry, while Elena herself mocked the younger women for all her conversation about agency and power. A debate about the good/bad feminist is open to each other in her judgments, but it sounds pretty conceptual.

The piece is full of action, especially in Elena’s many machinations. There are moments of great intensity, mainly in the scenes with Fleetwood and real candescent for writing from its best side. The focus on women is interesting and fascinating, although it means that Henry feels more free to the drama. This is a story of ingenious men who build castles in the air for their princesses, but from what destruction they do in their houses in their houses. Really, it is the drama of the wife of the master building.