The Master Builder

“James Naughton is a vigorous Solness whose wary eyes betray the insecurity and guilt beneath his outward show of control.” —Backstage

“The more a man wants, the less he gets.  That sobering maxim is at the heart of The Master Builder, Henrik Ibsen’s fresh as the day it was written play, in a translation by the celebrated Irish playwright Frank McGuinness…. In the role of the proud and misguided master builder, Naughton finds all of the resentment and terror lurking beneath the cool impressive surface of his character. His Solness is vain, dissembling and even jaw-droppingly cruel when cornered, making him far from heroic.  In the role of his stricken, haunted wife Aline, Griffith is well cast.  She brings real warmth and feeling to a difficult role as the master builder’s wronged wife.  Alternating between high Victorian reserve and all too brief flashes of the brilliant and loving young woman she once was, Griffith gives a hypnotic performance that’s flawlessly acted. Playwright McGuinness and the Irish Repertory Theatre have tackled this difficult but absorbing play with a rare degree of clarity.” — Irish Voice

“Irish Rep has given us an intriguing new take on a play that has stirred up scholars and audiences alike for more than a century.  The supporting actors provide real humanity…all portray the effects of Halvard’s soullessness to great effect.” — nytheatre.com

“The Master Builder stands the test of time. The Irish Repertory Theatre does the Master Playwright proud in this production!” — Electronic Link Journey

“The production, directed by Ciaran O’Reilly from a plain-spoken translation by Frank McGuinness, is a handsome one…. Kristin Griffith, as his dutiful, dead-eyed wife, and Letitia Lange, as an infatuated employee, are successful at forging colorful portraits. Parry shines as the enigmatic Hilde, who chides and praises her master builder and has no qualms about speaking of sweet dreams and soiled underwear in the same breath.” — Daily News

“Thanks to Eugene Lee, the set design…has furniture so solid looking and period appropriate for 1892 that it makes it easy for the audience to be transported to the time and place of Ibsen’s ruminations about the frustrated dreams of an ambitious architect.  Director Ciarán O’Reilly also sets the right tone.  Naughton…projects a solemnity and impatience, as well as the required fear of a new generation coming along to challenge and displace him.  His Solness is a man who has achieved renown, but who will not achieve the greatness to which he aspires, and his stage command and interpretation makes his performance riveting… The Master Builder is not performed all that often, and this production is made accessible by McGuinness’s uncomplicated adaptation and the clarity with which it is being performed. Whether you are unfamiliar with the play or know it well, the Irish Rep offers you a chance to see it in good hands.” — New York Calling

“Parry’s performance is as uninhibited as Hilde herself, and a perfect foil for Solness’s doubts and despair.  Tony-winning actor, James Naughton, gives a masterful performance as the complex Master Builder. Frank McGuinness’s adaptation of The Master Builder fully anticipates the angst that the playwright must have felt at the end of his career. Ibsen was, indeed, the Master Playwright, and his last play, expertly directed by Ciaran O’Reilly, is his crowning achievement.” — Mehlman and Manus On Theatre