"But Stone puts these fiery issues on a low heat, letting them simmer gently as he distracts with jokes and flirtation. Then he lets them explode. Initially, the simmering is delightful; quick, witty, and relatable. But when Stone eventually turns up the heat when veins start popping out of necks and long monologues expound on the unfolding tragedy the play doesn't quite deliver."
"Set up for a knockout, The Lady From The Sea ends up as a mere body blow. It is in the first half that the pot simmers, and the play is a triumph. It begins on a minimalist set typical of Stone's adaptations a dazzling white floor on which sit a few chairs and a table. We are looking in on a family gathering at Edward's (Andrew Lincoln star of The Walking Dead) luxurious house on Ullswater, marking the birthday of his deceased wife."
Simon Stone's adaptation of Ibsen's The Lady From The Sea stages heavy themes — suicide, murder, climate breakdown, neurodegenerative disease, paedophilia and miscarriage — initially subdued with humour and flirtation before erupting into intense tragedy. The production opens on a minimalist white set portraying a family gathering at Edward's Ullswater house to mark his deceased wife's birthday. Characters include Edward (Andrew Lincoln), his erudite neurologist cousin Heath (Joe Alwyn), younger wife Ellida (Alicia Vikander), lively step-daughters Hilda (Isobel Akuwudike) and Asa (Gracie Oddie-James), and Ellida's calming ex Lyle (John Macmillan). The first half's wit and chemistry succeed; later, swollen emotion and long monologues leave the climax underwhelming.
Read at www.london-unattached.com
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