The Lady from the Sea at The Bridge is Ibsen reborn in the writing and assured direction from Simon Stone.
It is fierce, funny, flawed and Andrew Lincoln brings the storm.
Simon Stone’s take on Ibsen’s play sees it set in the Lake District making it much more accessible to London audiences. I was struck by how much male vulnerability is present in this production; Edward’s, Lyle’s and Heath’s. This may well be down to Andrew Lincoln’s powerhouse performance as Edward (if you were lucky enough to see Mark Strong in Oedipus last year, it is equal to that and hopefully as award winning.)
The production, set and direction is wonderful. The dialogue is cracking and pacing is wonderful as well as the supporting actors.
What I felt was a slight pit is the current trend of trying to blur mediums of cinema and theatre. There was a ridiculous scene of the actors standing in the rain having mini duologues. I was over it two seconds into the rain and couldn’t wait for it to end. The other issue is the trend of having Hollywood actors on the London stage to generate ticket sales, but whose vocal range is just not there. I’m afraid this was the case with Alicia Vikander, whilst present her range was lacking and this was quite apparent in her scenes with Andrew Lincoln. It’s her emotional arc that is the beating heart of this play. Ellida, a woman tormented by her past and who by the end decides to live life on her terms. Except her delivery is more suited than for the camera rather than the stage and so the emotional impact just doesn’t come through.
Having said all of that, I really enjoyed the production and think it is worth seeing.
The Lady from the Sea is at the Bridge Theatre from 10 September to 8 November.
