This modern re-hash of Henrik Ibsen’s 19th-century Norwegian Aga saga at London’s Bridge Theatre should have whipped up more of a storm.
It stars Andrew Lincoln from Netflix’s The Walking Dead, Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander (of the transgender drama The Danish Girl and Lara Croft in Tomb Raider), and (wait for it…) Joe Alwyn — the hot young actor who famously dated Taylor Swift.
Weirdly, though, re-writer and director Simon Stone turns this tantalising trio of eye-catching celebs into a blandly homogenous bunch of wittering, health-conscious hedonists, without a cultural, moral, or political compass between them.
Instead, they are sweary, middle-class, wine-guzzling zombie citizens of nowhere.
Lincoln is Edward, a blasé neurosurgeon who lives in the idyllic Lake District environs of Ullswater. Edward runs ten miles a day (‘except on Sunday’) — but also has a glass of rosé permanently fixed in his paw.
Since losing his last wife to suicide (for reasons unknown) he has married Vikander’s Ellida, who turns out to have been the victim of an abusive relationship with a now-jailed eco warrior from her past (Brendan Cowell).
This modern re-hash of Henrik Ibsen’s Norwegian saga at London’s Bridge Theatre should have whipped up more of a storm (L-R) Alicia Vikander, Andrew Lincoln, Joe Alwyn
Andrew and Alicia pictured at Thursday’s Press Night
It stars Andrew Lincoln from Netflix ’s The Walking Dead, Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander and (wait for it…) Joe Alwyn (pictured) — the hot young actor who famously dated Taylor Swift
A former ballerina, Vikander is a small but eye-catching presence, who likes to stretch and waft her limbs as though limbering up for the Bolshoi. Her formerly radical character however remains an evasive mystery here.
Added to this inconsistently-seasoned mix is Heath (Alwyn) — Edward’s distant cousin — a tortured loose-end of a soul, diagnosed with a grimly terminal motor-neuron disease (‘amyotrophic lateral sclerosis’, m’lud).
Astonishingly, this cues not sympathy, but major LOLs for Edward’s bolshy teenage daughter Hilda (Isobel Akuwudike), who gets the hots for Heath because of his terminal illness.
Alwyn is certainly deserving of fuller more demanding roles, but celebrity spotters will at least be curious to note his androgynous resemblance to Taylor Swift – he could be her ripped twin brother.
Also kicking his heels dramatically is Edward’s best friend Lyle (John Macmillan), another brain surgeon, cracking not heads but endless dad jokes. I wouldn’t let him near my grey matter.
Edward’s other daughter Asa (Gracie Oddie-James) musters only marginal interest, despite being a brilliant student who funds her Yale University PhD studies by uploading social media porn.
That might sound racy, but here it’s just part of a glib tone that replaces the show’s darker themes of sexual exploitation with larky histrionics.
There is fun in Stone’s flippant gags, and we’re distracted by flashy staging – including a Cumbrian rainstorm and an on-stage swimming pool.
Weirdly, though, re-writer and director Simon Stone turns this tantalising trio of eye-catching celebs into a blandly homogenous bunch of wittering, health-conscious hedonists
Lincoln is Edward, a blasé neurosurgeon who lives in the idyllic Lake District environs of Ullswater
Since losing his last wife to suicide (for reasons unknown) he has married Vikander’s Ellida, who turns out to have been the victim of an abusive relationship with a now-jailed eco warrior
Added to this inconsistently-seasoned mix is Heath (Alwyn) — Edward’s distant cousin — a tortured loose-end of a soul, diagnosed with a grimly terminal motor-neuron disease
Alwyn is certainly deserving of fuller more demanding roles, but celebrity spotters will at least be curious to note his androgynous resemblance to Taylor Swift – he could be her twin brother.
There is fun in Stone’s flippant gags, and we’re distracted by flashy staging – including a Cumbrian rainstorm and an on-stage swimming pool (L-R) John McMillan and Joe Alwyn
But at nearly three hours, it’s a long time to take nothing seriously.
It comes after actor Andrew said he was ‘delighted’ fans still want to see him naked onscreen at the age of 50, however his teenage children are less impressed at the prospect.
The Walking Dead actor has stripped off for numerous roles throughout his career, with his character seen masturbating in new ITV thriller Coldwater, which marks the star’s first UK TV role in 15 years.
Andrew confessed his daughter Matilda, 17, and son Arthur, 15, whom he shares with wife Gael Anderson, are still not speaking to him after he pre-warned them about his latest X-rated role.
He told The Times: ‘I said to Arthur: “How would you feel about me pleasuring myself on national television?” And he said: “What do you think?”‘.
He continued: ‘My children haven’t talked to me since I did the job. My son just said: “Can you just not have waited for three years until I was through school?”.
Andrew said he too avoids watching himself on screen, with those duties given to wife Gael, who has given her approval of his latest raunchy role.
‘Look, I’m just thrilled that people are still asking me to get naked at 50.’
