THE MASTER BUILDER
at The Playhouse 'til Saturday

This latest production by the English Touring Theatre is like the curates' egg, good in parts. The play was rather plodding at first, picked up in the middle and anti-climaxed at the end, so that the full horror and tragedy of Solness' fall failed to grip or move the audience as it should.

Timothy West gives a good solid performance as Halvard Solness, the master builder, extracting the wryly humourous side to the character that is generally overlooked. Hilde is the catalyst that points him towards rediscovering his true self, a self lost in cynical corruption and degeneration of spiritual values. Emma Cuncliffe's vivacious, charming portrayal of the unconventional Hilde brought warmth and pace to what was, at times, a somewhat stilted production. Her performance successfully complimented West's, allowing Solness to exhibit a touching vulnerability that is otherwise unapparent.

Laura Howard's experience appears to be primarily on television. Her unfamiliarity with stage performing showed in a rather weak portrayal of Kaja, Solness' infatuated clerk, her voice tending to be thin and shrill in the hesitant opening scene. Caroline John gives a sensitive performance as Aline, Solness' wife, locked in her own pain. However the presence of two female friends at the close of the play seemed superfluous. They appeared ill at ease and wooden, and detracted from the final denoument.

Perhaps the best part of the production was the scenery. The dimly lit office and scandinavian timbered buildings - Solness' 'ordinary homes'; the dark barred windows through which we peer, all effectively convey the atmosphere of Ibsen's play. This changes in the second act to a lighter interior, now illumined by Hilde's presence, a charismatic and troll-like muse, with the church steeple towering through the open window. The symbolism of these sets points to greater things. Unfortunately the production fails to live up to expectations and while there are satisfying moments, one is left feeling disappointed and expecting more.

Amanda C. Dickie