Kate Fleetwood keeps our attention firmly focussed
Architect Henry Solness(Ewan McGregor) opens with a speech to launch his latest work – a replacement for a church that burned down a decade before – telling his audience that he hopes this new building will ‘Turn history into hope, connect the past with the future’, which is a signpost for the narrative arc of Lila Raicek’s The Master Builder, writes Michael Holland.
Elena Solness(Kate Fleetwood) is next to set her stall out as she tells her PA Kaia(Mirren Mack) that ‘It takes three to bear the heavy chains of marriage…’
The church fire had killed their son, and taken their relationship too. He grieved by throwing himself into award-winning international commissions; Elena also threw herself into her work in the publishing world but, because she was a woman, was damned for doing so.
At the party they throw after the official launch there are some guests invited to cause friction: Ragna (David Ajala)was once Henry’s protegé, now they despise each other. Mathilde(Elizabeth Debicki), a journalist whose arrival caused alarm for Henry as he had not seen her for a decade.
We soon discover that he had been constantly thinking of her, for they had once enjoyed a summer-long fling while he mourned his son’s death. Mathilde was then a 20-year-old and Elena has been aware of their liaisons ever since.
The plot is stirred to thicken with added ingredients like how Elena stifled Mathilde’s writing career, friends being disloyal, and how people try to hurt each other for their own gain. It simmers away nicely while we similarly bubbled away, feasting on any tasty titbits thrown our way that sated our need for gossip and slut-shaming.
Lila Raicek has created a 21st century tale told through a woman’s eyes, with the women taking the story forward as Henry Solness stumbles through thinking he is leading the way, when he has been totally unaware of being just a bit part actor in his own life.
David Ajala makes Ragna a complete joy to watch as he juggles the pies his fingers find themselves in, and McGregor does well at getting dragged backwards by the females he upsets, but it is Kate Fleetwood who keeps our attention firmly focussed whenever she hits the stage.
And Richard Kent’s set quietly and subtlely provides the transparency to see deep into their souls.
The Master Builder is an excellent watch because everyone other than nuns and most priests will relate to some or all of it.
Wyndham’s Theatre, Charing Cross Road until 12th July.
Booking and full details: https://mymasterbuilderplay.com/
