Power is a precarious thing, particularly when your greatest fear is that someone younger might take it away. At Arcola Theatre, Mehmet Ergen directs David Edgar’s version of Henrik Ibsen’s The Master Builder, exploring this fear through a compelling psychological battle, anchored by three strong central performances.
Halvard Solness (Greg Hicks) is, despite his lack of formal qualifications, a successful architect whose achievements have come at the expense of those around him. Despite his professional standing, he remains deeply insecure, especially about the younger generation threatening his position. When Hilde Wangel (Louisa Binder) arrives with a startling claim about a promise made ten years earlier, Solness finds himself confronting a past he may not entirely remember.
Binder is captivating as Hilde, shifting effortlessly between almost childlike excitement, disarming naivety and calculated control. There is something deeply unnerving about the performance, creating an extraordinary sense of unease without ever becoming overtly sinister. Hilde consistently maintains the upper hand, leaving us questioning her true motivations. Is she seeking revenge, pursuing her own ambitions, or simply representing the younger generation that Solness has spent years suppressing?
Hicks convincingly portrays a man obsessed with power and control, yet increasingly vulnerable to Hilde’s influence. The shifts between anger and vulnerability grow with mounting volatility, as the production reaches its climax. The performance is especially effective alongside Sally George as his wife, Aline. George brings wit, quiet strength and genuine heartbreak to the role, revealing a woman who has suffered enormously but is far from powerless. Their exchanges expose the emotional cost of Solness’ ambition and provide a compelling contrast to his unsettling relationship with Hilde.
While the performances drive much of the tension in The Master Builder, the production could make greater use of its technical elements to heighten the atmosphere. Richard Williamson’s lighting and Deniz Dortok’s sound design and music offer glimpses of what might have been achieved with a more sustained approach. A striking video projection towards the conclusion demonstrates the potential for a more sinister visual language. Greater use of lighting and sound throughout could have intensified the psychological unease already established so effectively by the cast.
What makes the play so fascinating is its refusal to offer straightforward answers. Even what truly happened between Solness and Hilde remains uncertain, caught somewhere between memory, fantasy and reality. Their shifting power dynamic keeps us questioning who is manipulating whom, and whether we can ever be certain of either character’s motives.
Ultimately, The Master Builder succeeds through its compelling performances, above all Binder’s mesmerising and unsettling portrayal of Hilde. Although the production could do more to build its atmospheric tension, it remains an absorbing exploration of ambition, control and the fear of being replaced.
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