The Lady From The Sea Review Round Up
Alicia Vikander and Andrew Lincoln are making waves at the Bridge Theatre in a brand-new take on Ibsen’s The Lady from the Sea!
Directed by Simon Stone (Yerma, Phaedra), The Lady From The Sea dives into the story of Ellida (Vikander), a woman torn between the safety of her settled life with her husband (Lincoln) and the pull of a past lover who suddenly resurfaces.
Running until 8 November 2025, the show boasts a stellar cast including Joe Alwyn, Isobel Akuwudike, Brendan Cowell, John Macmillan and more. But what are the critics saying?
The Lady From The Sea Critic Reviews
"Writer-director Simon Stone is known for his rock'n'roll takes on the classics. This is a characteristically high-octane version of Ibsen's play: loud, modern and led by screen stars Alicia Vikander and Andrew Lincoln. Yet his script, again created in the rehearsal process, retains all of Ibsen's layers and adds some of its own in the updating." - The Guardian
"There are plenty of sharply observed modern-day moments in Simon Stone's Ibsen rejig, not to mention a tremendous star turn from Andrew Lincoln and a valiant stage debut from an often only-just-audible Alicia Vikander." - The Times
"The leads compel, even so. Vikander grows in power throughout the evening, as her character attempts to reconcile past with future. And both she and Lincoln excel at capturing concerted composure crumpling into mid-life anguish." - The Telegraph
"It's also superbly acted. Lincoln excels in the difficult role of Edward, a man struggling to swim in alien new waters, and Vikander is magnetic as Ellida" - The Financial Times
"The great news is that Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead, Love Actually) and Oscar winner Alicia Vikander in her London stage debut make for a phenomenal central pairing as a distinguished older man on his second marriage and an attractive younger woman on her first." - The I Paper
"Simon Stone has built a reputation for taking classic plays and dragging them boldly into the present. His reworking of Ibsen's The Lady from the Sea is no exception. As with his versions of Yerma, Phaedra and Medea, the result is stylish, visually stunning, and full of daring ideas.." - London Theatre Reviews
"Taken across the better part of three hours, the evening consistently intrigues." - The Arts Desk
