The Master Builder – Arcola Theatre

Staging any Henrik Ibsen play is always an event, as he is one of the greatest masters of playwriting to have ever lived, and his work consistently tackles taboo subjects. In The Master Builder, Ibsen takes a magnifying glass to one of the most unsettling subjects he ever wrote about: the grooming of a minor and gaslighting. He couples this with his protagonist’s inherent mistrust of, and fear of, the young.

Halvard Solness (Greg Hicks) is a selfish, arrogant man; a self-taught builder who never officially qualified to call himself an architect. His days of building grand churches with impressive steeples are behind him, shown quite literally here as model buildings line the bare brick back wall of Robert Innes Hopkins’ elegant backdrop.

Solness fears that his young apprentice, Ragnar Brovik (Ryan Wichert), is going to outshine him and soon leave the business to strike out on his own. Solness is also trapped in an unhappy marriage, with the couple still mourning and guilt-ridden over the loss of their twin infants following a house fire. Then, in classic Ibsen style, a stranger arrives with an explosive secret: Hilde Wangel (Louisa Binder), a 23-year-old woman whom Solness showered with inappropriate kisses when she was just 13 years old, and to whom he promised to one day build a castle in the sky, a metaphor that will come back to haunt him.

It’s fair to say this is a heavy subject matter and David Edgar’s translation handles it with care and subtlety, making for a tense, unfolding drama. (However, his continuous repetition of the title throughout the play does become irksome very quickly.)

The success of this version largely rests on the power dynamics between Solness and his female counterparts. It is their reactions to him that reinforce the malevolence of the man, as opposed to Hicks’ frenetic early portrayal, which is too exaggerated, with his arms distractingly flailing far too often. Hicks improves later as his descent into madness takes hold, but most immediately his wings are clipped by the arrival of Louisa Binder’s forthright but charming Hilde, who quickly and calmly establishes control of the power dynamic. Binder makes an outstanding debut, bringing a feline-like energy as she slowly prowls around the stage with an air of confidence and intent. The extent to which she is seeking revenge, or remains genuinely enamoured of this older man, is a line she walks very carefully. This is also the strongest example of Mehmet Ergen’s direction.

Sally George, as Solness’ wife Aline, demonstrates the trademark strength of Ibsen’s writing for long-suffering wives who so often blame themselves for the breakdown of their marriages, while Peter Guinness brings a calm gravitas to the visiting Doctor Herdal.

While the foundations of this project are strong, the piece in the whole feels a little underpowered and inconsistent in what is certainly a tricky play to mount.

The Master Builder continues at the Arcola Theatre until Saturday 21^st November. Details can be found here: The Master Builder – Arcola Theatre

Reviewer: Phil Meikle

Reviewed: 23^rd October 2026

North West End UK Rating: