Robert Icke's thrilling and radical adaptations of some of the great textsof Western theatre have enthralled theatregoers in London, in New Yorkand around the world. This is the first collection of his multi-awardwinningwork.
Very freely adapting Professor Bernhardi by Arthur Schnitzler, Robert Icke has written a gripping moral thriller that uses the lens of medical ethics to examine urgent questions of faith, belief, and scientific rationality. How do we defend the "truth" when no one agrees what it is and many have reason to undermine it?
In this 1884 masterpiece by "the father of modern drama", the idealistic son of a corrupt merchant exposes his father's duplicity, but in the process destroys the very people he wishes to save. Led by his conviction that reality is superior to illusion, Gregers Werle forces his friends, the Ekdals, to confront the truth about their lives. Unfortunately, these truths, involving scandal, illegitimacy, imprisonment and madness, only serve to wound the Ekdals further. In the play, the wild duck is a symbol of this injured family, and perhaps, of the loss of Ibsen's youthful idealism. Moving and powerful, this thought-provoking tragedy offers ample testimony to the justice of Ibsen's status as one of the giants of modern theater.
This adaptation of Sophocles' tragedy reimagines the classic tale as a gripping human thriller under the direction of Robert Icke. Set to premiere in the West End in October 2024, the production promises an explosive interpretation that highlights the timeless themes of fate, power, and human emotion, bringing a fresh perspective to a well-known narrative.