Isben's Tale Of Hubris, Secrets And Lust

Building on the success of two sold-out collaborations, An Enemy of the People and Richard III, Greg Hicks joins forces once again with Arcola Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen for a fresh take on Henrik Ibsen's celebrated tale of ambition and legacy.

Often celebrated as a work of realism, this exploration of one man's infatuation with a younger woman and his self-given "God complex" sees how one person's misfortune can lead to fortuitous circumstances for another. It has been linked to Ibsen's own personal experiences while on holiday, when he embarked on a brief but passionate affair with a younger woman, and carries the age-old lesson that success often comes at a heavy price.

What Is It About?

Set in Norway, Halvard Solness is a middle-aged architect of churches and other notable buildings who has received widespread recognition for his work. Whilst receiving a visit from his old friend, a young woman called Hilde appears, and it soon becomes apparent that she and Solness are already acquainted. Ten years earlier, while Solness was on holiday, he met the 14-year-old Hilde and attempted to seduce her. Now she returns, eager to pick up where things left off, even though he is married. Once convinced that she is telling the truth, he warily takes her into his home as a housekeeper.

In the meantime, Solness' architectural firm is going from strength to strength, and upon learning of one of his employees' personal tragedy, he gleefully believes that he had wished it from God so that he might succeed in his own business. However, Solness has a secret of his own: he has a terror of heights. Coaxed by Hilde to climb the spire of one of his new buildings in the belief that doing so will win her heart once and for all, a catastrophe occurs, and Hilde's true colours and motives are revealed to devastating effect.