The Master Builder at Arcola Theatre Review
Photo: Alex Brenner
The Arcola revives a 16 year old translation of a 133 year old play about an aging artist bitter that he will be cast aside by a younger generation.
I would use the word contemporary over modern to describe David Edgar’s translation which does stand by tradition to treat Ibsen's words with a grandiose reverence which I have a natural resistance towards. This seems to be heightened further by Mehmet Ergen’s direction with Louisa Binder and Greg Hicks giving textbook examples of Ibsen-character-performances which does lead itself to a repetitive tone. Sally George’s Aline however was electrifying in a, dare I say, more naturalistic performance which leads to a powerful emotional outburst in the second act, and a much higher hit-rate for landing jokes.
I understood that I was in for a restaging of an Ibsen play, so it was always going to be a bit dry. I suppose I was hoping for more of an ‘adaptation’. Seeing Robert Innes-Hopkins’ set sparked an intrigue that it might have been. Ikea style furniture, white-card models of past building projects mounted like trophies on the back wall, with white branches bursting through and a pinewood frame held aloft. The Master Builder adorned in sensible shoes and a cotton blazer from Marks & Spencer à la Grand Design’s Kevin McCloud and our mysterious young woman, a modern day backpacker in Patagonia fleece and hiking boots. But I’m afraid that's where the modernisation of the piece ends. Even though all of that too feels somewhat dated now.
The underlying meaning of this particular Ibsen play is infamously not as clean-cut as his others. I however don’t fault the play for the character's veiled motivations, I believe it makes for compelling viewing, and leaving a lot of it down to introspective interpretation as to 'who’s the real villain' is often joyful.
Personally, I have always bought into the idea the piece is mostly autobiographical. Most literally portraying actual relationships to various women from Ibsen's own past…but more lyrically it's an examination of the struggles of an aging artist fearing irrelevance, reeling from the mistakes of a hysterical heyday, dwelling on the emotional ‘price’ creatives pay and the internal struggle between honest artistic expression and mass appeal. It shows how the arrogance of a successful man can burn the relationships around him and his own pride, his own self-aggrandised beliefs in his own abilities will be the thing that destroys him, not fate or god or the jealousy of others.
I can’t help but feel disappointed it hasn't been actually re-contextulised. Imagine a story, nearly 150 years old, but about an acclaimed artist accused of sexually assaulting a young woman, of which he only has a vague drunken memory, for that young woman to reappear in his life claiming adoration of him, to only lead to his downfall. Was this purposeful revenge? The acts of a poor traumatised young woman? Lies from the fame obsessed? How relevant that play actually is for a 2026 audience. I expect that parallel is why this production exists in the first place. It's about ego as much as it's about fate and art and I think we can all vouch that a piece confronting one man's ego is something we're all yearning for. But yes, as often is the case only set and costume are allowed to fully interpret a piece rather than just regurgitate it.
Regardless this is a wholly competent production, it has its "4 walls and a roof" but unfortunately does not reach the dizzying heights of greatness.
The Master Builder plays at Arcola Theatre until 21st November.
★★★
Written by Brad for Theatre and Tonic, October 2026.