Ibsen Plays: 1

Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) was a Norwegian playwright and poet whose realistic, symbolic and often controversial plays revolutionised European theatre. He is widely regarded as the father of modern drama. His acclaimed plays include A Doll's House, Ghosts, Hedda Gabler, An Enemy of the People and The Pillars of the Community. His centenary was celebrated in 2006.

• Ghosts; The Wild Duck; The Master Builder

The Master Builder is an 'elegiac late Ibsen play, with its central themes of youth and ageing, renewal and decay.' Fiona Mountford, Evening Standard (London), 17.9.10 'What does it profit a man if he conquers the world but fails to slay his own demons? Ibsen's The Master Builder, first published 14 years before his death in 1906, distils many of his preoccupations as a dramatist into their purest essence. It warns us that what we fear most and seek to avoid is the thing we are bound to confront. It reminds us that the most towering reputation can be built on the weakest foundation. It has the strangeness, simplicity and quiet terror, too, of a fairy tale.' Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph, 18.9.10 The Master Builder: 'Ibsen explores, in often devastating detail, the dark tragedy of betrayal, the consuming needs of sexual passion as well as the thorny crown of ambition' Daily Express - Paul Callan, 19.11.10 The Master Builder: 'A disturbing masterpiece' Guardian - Michael Billington, 19.11.10 The Master Builder: 'Weirdly gripping' Independent on Sunday - Kate Bassett, 21.11.10