THE MASTER By Henrik Ibsen BUPresented in associationILDER with MiNDFOOD EDUCATION PACK

PRESENTING PARTNER: 2020 2020

About The ProductionCONTENTS Sound P.04 P.27 THE MASTER BUILDER THE MASTER BUILDER THE MASTER Thanks to our supporters Stage to Screen Post-show Activities P.06 P.30

Updating a Classic Resources and P.11 Additional Reading P.33 Direction P.14 ATC Creative Learning P.34 Key Themes Auckland Theatre Company receives principal and core funding from: P.18 Curriculum Links P.35 Set and Lighting P.23

This pack was supported by Drama NZ ATC Creative Learning also thanks the ATC Patrons and with funding by Networks of Expertise (NEX) the ATC Supporting Acts for their ongoing generosity

Supported by our university partner - AUT

Running Time: 88 minutes, without an interval. The production is in three Acts. Each Act can be viewed separately and run at approximately 30 minutes each. Suitability: This production is suitable for Year Levels 11 – 13 Advisory: Contains occasional use of strong language and sexual references

2 1 2020

THE THE MASTER BUILDER THE MASTER MASTER By Henrik Ibsen PresentedBU in associationILDER with MiNDFOOD

CAST Solness — Andrew Grainger Mrs Solness — Hera Dunleavy | Dr Herdal — Nicola Kawana Brovik — Ian Mune | Ragnar — Justin Rogers Kaja Fosli — Holly Hudson | Hilde Wangel — Kalyani Nagarajan

CREATIVE Director — Colin McColl | Set and Lighting Designer — Tony Rabbit Composer and Sound Designer — John Gibson | Costume Designer — Nic Smillie

MUSICIANS John Gibson and Marcel Bear

ENSEMBLE Adeline Esther, George Maunsell, Joseph Nathan, Travis Graham, Fabian MacGregor, Salome Grace Neely, Nadine Kemp, Ben Lamb, Lucas Haugh, Matthew Kereama

PRODUCTION Production Manager — Andrew Malmo | Company Manager — Nicole Sarah Stage Manager — Maddy Powell | Assistant Stage Manager — Chiara Niccolini Technical Manager — Kevin Greene | Lighting Operator — Ruby van Dorp Sound Operator — Andrew Furness | Props Master — Selina Ershadi Wardrobe Supervisor — Sheridan Miller | Director of Photography — Adam Luxton Sound Recordist — Ant Nevison | B-Cam Operator — Riki Reinfeld C-Cam Operator — Andrew Blackman | Set Construction — Camelspace

ATC CREATIVE LEARNING Associate Director — Lynne Cardy | Youth Arts Coordinator — Mile Fane Education Pack Writer — Emma Bishop | Education Pack Editor — Lynne Cardy Design images courtesy of Tony Rabbit and Nic Smillie Graphic Design — Wanda Tambrin | Images — Andrew Malmo and Chiara Niccolini

2 3 2020 2020

THE MASTER BUILDER THE MASTER ABOUT THE BUILDER THE MASTER

PRODUCTIONThrough talent and hard work, Halvard Solness has achieved no small measure of fame and fortune. But the unexpected return of Hilde Wangel to his life threatens to shake the foundations of his success.

ATC On Stage|On Screen presents one of Ibsen’s most fascinating and enigmatic works in a new hybrid of theatre and film. In this high-quality studio adaptation of The Master Builder, a successful builder and property developer has his creative flame reignited by a young woman from his past, with dramatic consequences. Ibsen specialist and ATC Artistic Director Colin McColl presents a magnificent work from a master playwright, in an innovative post- COVID-19 format.

4 5 2020 2020

THE MASTER BUILDER THE MASTER STAGE TO BUILDER THE MASTER SCREEN

Cancelled as a mainstage REHEARSING IN BUBBLES production in the face of the Following lockdown it was COVID-19 pandemic, and then important for Auckland Theatre reconceived as a film of a live Company (ATC) to provide a safe studio performance, The Master rehearsal room that catered for Builder went into rehearsal in social distancing from each other May 2020, after Aotearoa/New for The Master Builder team, and Zealand’s lockdown restrictions from the rest of the ATC staff. eased and actors and creatives Nicole Sarah, company manager could return to the rehearsal explains some of the procedures room. put in place: “We created a separate Presented in June as a short greenroom in the rehearsal room season of performances before for The Master Builder company an audience in the studio, the and allocated toilets to them. That production captures the simplicity, way they did not have to share any spirit and energy of a final run in spaces with the rest of ATC. We also the rehearsal room. scheduled it so that the rehearsal The performance was then room ‘bubble’ overlapped as little as filmed for release on digital possible with the office ‘bubble’. We platforms. Director Colin McColl got this down to two days but then says “I quickly learnt that the stayed at different ends of the office rhythm, the dynamics of the story building so never saw each other could be in the way it was shot anyway. As the Covid alert levels and edited as well as the actor’s shifted we were able to change the performances.” way we rehearsed too so actors could start getting closer”.

6 7 8 THE MASTER BUILDER 2020 and Kalyani Nagarajan (Hilde) Cast from L –R:Hera Dunleavy (Mrs Solness), Andrew Grainger (Solness) Inside therehearsal room, preparing to filmtheproduction. 2020 2020

THE MASTER BUILDER THE MASTER UPDATING BUILDER THE MASTER Henrik Ibsen’s The Master Builder premiered on 19 January 1893 in Berlin. Colin McColl’s new version of The Master Builder premiered on A23 June 2020CL in Auckland, ASSIC New Zealand. THE CLASSIC THE CONTEMPORARY

Ibsen’s The Master Builder was Colin McColl’s The Master Builder written in 1892 immediately after was originally intended as a full Hedda Gabler and represents a shift production on the ASB Waterfront in Ibsen’s form from the realism of Theatre stage but was adapted his “problem” plays like An Enemy during the COVID-19 lockdown of the People, Ghosts and A Doll’s to be presented (in Alert Level 1) House, to the expressionism of his before a live audience at the ATC final theatre works. rehearsal studios and then filmed for online release.

THE PLAYWRIGHT: THE ADAPTOR/DIRECTOR: Henrik Ibsen Colin McColl

Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th- Internationally regarded for his century Norwegian playwright, productions of Ibsen’s plays, theatre director, and poet. He is Colin McColl has directed for the often referred to as “the father of Norwegian National Theatre and the realism” and is one of the founders Dutch National Theatre, as well as of Modernism in theatre. Major works leading New Zealand and Australian include Peer Gynt, An Enemy of the theatre companies. He is the only People, Emperor and Galilean, A New Zealand director to be invited Doll’s House, Hedda Gabler, Ghosts to present his work (Hedda Gabler) and The Master Builder. He is the at the official Edinburgh Festival. most frequently performed dramatist Colin has won Best Director at in the world after Shakespeare. the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards Ibsen was born in Norway; his several times – including for his plays were written in Danish. His Circa Theatre production of A Doll’s first play was published (but not House. In 2015, Colin directed Emily performed) when he was 22. He Perkins’ new version of Ibsen’s A left Norway in 1864 for Italy, where Doll’s House for Auckland Theatre many of his major plays were written. Company and in 2017 he directed Eli Only four years later, he moved to Kent’s Peer Gynt (Recycled) at the Germany, where he wrote both A ASB Waterfront Theatre. Doll’s House and Hedda Gabler. He did not return to Norway until 1891. Ibsen died in Oslo in 1906. 10 11 2020 2020

Discussing the process of adapting of the uneducated country much gets lost in translation. But COLIN’S TOP 3 TIPS FOR The Master Builder, Colin says boy he was. There has been a even in Norway it’s not uncommon ADAPTATION: “they’re called classics for a great debate over the years for some of the language to be • Know the play very well reason. The themes in plays like about Hilde’s line” I have some updated”. • Be scrupulous. The Master Builder are universal underwear here – but it’ll need He goes on to say, “I’ve kept • Using a dramaturg works THE MASTER BUILDER THE MASTER and can speak to different ages in washing, it’s a bit shitty.” There’s the Norwegian names for the BUILDER THE MASTER different ways. I never consciously a specific word in Norwegian for characters, but I have altered think about “adapting” these “dirty underwear” “skittent” – and a few things here and there for plays, I am always just looking at the slang New Zealand phrase “it’s clarity and modernity. For instance, them from now”. a bit shitty” is so much closer to Solness and Hilde discuss how his WHAT’S IN A NAME? new home has a very high tower In Norway over 100 years on it (who puts towers on houses ago, when the play was these days?) So, I changed it to written, people’s last names “I never consciously think about an apartment block with Solness’s were prefaced by what they new home on the Penthouse “adapting” these plays, I am always did - their jobs. In Norwegian floors. However, the description of the play is called Bygmester the Mrs Solness’s old family home just looking at them from now.” Solness (Master Builder as “a big ugly wooden structure Solness). What connections Colin McColl with a garden that ran right down do you make with the name into the gully” fitted perfectly for Master Builder today? Auckland. I imagined the house on Colin thinks you must read Ibsen’s original – than, for example, Mt Eden or somewhere.” classic plays with a contemporary “I do have some underwear that sensibility and not regard them I keep in the knapsack. But it’s as museum pieces. “Every play in badly in need of a wash. You’ll every production after its premiere be shocked by how filthy it is” - season is, in some ways, an which is how English playwright adaptation”. David Hare deals with it in his His impulse for adapting latest version of the play. Far too European (non-English) classic polite, too English. So, the choices YOUR PERSPECTIVE plays is to do with the language. I make have to be informed and “In this play Ibsen deliberately have to work for the audience who • What is your view on ‘updating’ classics? What are the pros and cons gives Solness and Hilde a very are receiving the play.” of taking famous plays from the past into a modern context? Did the limited vocabulary. Simple How does he keep up with the play speak to you? language. But often when its language? Colin says “when I’ve translated into English the worked on the play before I have • Which symbols / characters / settings seemed most ‘foreign’ to language is tidied up and put in used a Norwegian dramaturg you as a New Zealander? Chose one (for example, trolls) and find neat and tidy sentences. English friend of mine. She will tell me out more about how this story or character operated in its original playwrights have Solness sounding exactly the intention of the line in Norwegian context. How does this additional knowledge contribute like a university professor instead the original Norwegian because so to the concepts the play conveys?

12 13 2020 2020 THE MASTER BUILDER THE MASTER BUILDER THE MASTER “At the core of the play is the hauntingly complex relationship between Solness and Hilde; between man and woman; youth and age; between a remorseful guilt-ridden soul DIRECTION – and an aggressively amoral pagan will. It Emma Bishop talked to Colin McColl about his long-running relationship works on many different levels – the realistic, with the play, it’s mythological links, relevant themes, and trolls. the mythic, the psychological and the COLIN McCOLL subconscious.”

Colin McColl

For this studio production I was that energises and drives them. interested in the conflict between It makes them different from the Have you directed The Master What was the thinking behind the mundane and the imaginative. more mundane characters around Builder before? including the play in ATC’s 2020 Like a lot of Māori theatre, them. In The Master Builder Hilde Yes. I first directed The Master season? mythology plays a big part in Ibsen and Solness immediately sense this Builder in Dutch for the Dutch The name of our 2020 season is plays. Even the so called “drawing about each other. National Theatre (Het Nationale Stages of Change which has a room “ plays like Hedda Gabler Toneel) in The Hague in 1992. well- being narrative underpinning and A Doll’s House are chock full What did you need to consider The following year that it. I thought the intergenerational of Norse mythology in the names when filming the production? Did production was invited to the power play in The Master Builder of characters (Hedda is the name you need to make compromises Norwegian National Theatre as was interesting in this Boomer vs of one of the Valkyries; when from the live version? part of the annual Ibsen Festival. Zoomer age and of course post Norwegians hear the name Hilde Not initially but certainly in the In 1995 I staged a completely #MeToo. they are reminded of Hildur, the editing. Where you would usually different version at Circa Theatre mountain sirens who bewitch men see close-up shots in a film (for in Wellington. Hera Dunleavy, who Did you have an overall concept to jump off cliffs). And of course, example you might see Kaja’s plays Mrs Solness in this version for the production? all great Ibsen characters Hilde, hands on her typewriter), I tried played Hilde Wangel in that I am very wary of “concepts”! Solness, Hedda, Nora etc have to create different moods by production. I try to define but not limit the the troll in them – a force (that the different shots we set up, possibilities for interpretation. can be creative or destructive) like using hand held cameras for

14 15 2020 2020

the ‘internal’ scenes between script if I was to film a production Solness and Hilde (to capture their like this again. wildness), by having cameras on a dolly and by adding foley sounds. What do you want audiences to We filmed with a cinematographer take away from this production?

THE MASTER BUILDER THE MASTER (Adam Luxton) and his crew very Something to think about! It’s not BUILDER THE MASTER intensively over twelve hours, a play that gives up its secrets and as Adam had been in several easily or immediately, but my rehearsals and showings, he also hope would be that if it interests knew the piece well so we worked audiences – it will set off some very quickly and on the fly! In depth charges of thinking. future I would prepare a camera

You can hear Colin talking to Radio New Zealand about the production here: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/standing-room-only/ audio/2018757608/colin-mcoll-brings-ibsen-to-stage-and-screen

YOUR PERSPECTIVE

• Discuss how this 150-year-old play is modernised. Which features of modern social life are used to underline or highlight the themes of Ibsen’s original?

• Colin says the play “doesn’t give up its secrets easily”. What do you think he means by this? What questions do you have after watching this production?

16 17 2020 2020

The Master Builder is a poetic fairy tale about…

THE MASTER BUILDER THE MASTER Youth vs Maturity Potency or lack of potency BUILDER THE MASTER KEYWhat is real and what THEMES is imagined (creative and sexual) Gender power play Responsibility and free will Power and control Self-deception

YOUR PERSPECTIVE How are these themes relevant or how do they connect with you today? Can you think of situations where these might occur and what the outcomes could be. Complete the table.

THEME DESCRIBE SEEN WHEN IN PLAY

Youth vs Maturity Aging Out Solness feeling the could be in regard to pressure of Ragnar, the morals and values or up and coming architect. something physical Deliberately holding such as understanding him back to ensure he technology doesn’t pass him.

Power #MeToo could be in regard to sexual harassment in the workplace

18 19 20 THE MASTER BUILDER 2020 From L –R:Kalyani Nagarajan asHilde and Andrew Grainger asSolness In themiddlespace. 21 THE MASTER BUILDER 2020 2020 2020 THE MASTER BUILDER THE MASTER BUILDER THE MASTER

SET AND Set and lighting designer Tony Rabbit and director Colin McColl have worked together on many productions including The Master Builder 25 years ago at Circa in Wellington. Their shared knowledge and history LIGHTINGwith the play made the required pivot (from mainstage to filmed studio production) much easier.

Tony says he is not a realist designer. He is interested in the character’s psyche and how the character inhabits the space. For example, he says; “what does Hilde want? Do we know what she wants – there are so many levels of thought. Does she exist or is she Solness’s dream or a spirit or perhaps the angel of death? Do we need to TONY RABBIT know? And Solness is examining who and what he is. Perhaps he is fulfilling something from the past? He has gone through an extremely traumatic experience and anyone deals with trauma in a different way.”

Lights outside the ATC building shine in to the 22 rehearsal room through the wall of windows. 23 2020 2020

Originally to be staged at ASB has the history of this room, and Tell us about the scaffolding. container and wire - inspired by THE MASTER BUILDER THE MASTER BUILDER THE MASTER Waterfront Theatre, much of its significance with mid-century We wanted an element in the something we saw in Christchurch the design work was already in Auckland society, influenced your room that was pristine, controlled after the earthquakes. place before that season was design? yet strange - almost like an Ai Wei This (much smaller) mound cancelled. The idea of Solness’s We liked the mid-century feel of Wei installation. Something from is rubber offcuts. It looks like a mind breaking down, along with the room. We wanted to honor the Solness’s construction world that volcano of scoria however its safe the idea of being held back saw a architecture and not fight it. It is could be particular to Solness and for the actors – it allows them to design that included an avalanche pretty much all white and felt right his mind-state but something that get into the rubble of builder’s rubble descending for Solness’s office. It also has an Hilde would eventually inhabit with It needed to be a mass in itself onto the stage. art gallery feel about it. him and destroy. It is whatever – it is interesting and makes the We liked that it was open, and the audience want it to be - a audience think as it’s something Emma Bishop talked to Tony Rabbit everything could be seen – no troll cave, the inside of his mind, we might see outside but not about how he changed his design backstage as such with technical a representation of his paranoia, inside. to fit the ATC Rehearsal studio. elements part of the environment. entrapment. It’s also hard to control – this And of course, the huge wall adds to the risk or excitement – or What changes were made to the of windows was a blessing – And the mound of rubber? the unknown. staging post Lockdown? something that would have been This is of course a metaphor. Its Its not tidy – its random – similar We had to scale back our very expensive to achieve at the inorganic or organic matter – to Hilde – she doesn’t necessarily original vision from the huge ASB theatre. originally (for the ASB Waterfront do what we would expect, like Waterfront stage to consider the The windows were a big part Theatre stage), it was to be a this mound. And it’s a reflection of number of people allowed in the of the design, particularly for the mound of concrete and building Solness’s state of mind. space due to social distancing lighting. During the day, the sun waste held back by a shipping restrictions. The first suggestion illuminates the space – in fact in was to perform with the audience summer the rehearsal room is so and actors together on stage at the hot they covered the windows theatre, but this felt like a wrong with reflective film which was space. We then considered the removed for this show. The more intimate ATC rehearsal room. window wall also has the pillars that frame the windows – this also YOUR PERSPECTIVE The rehearsal room was originally creates light spill and shadows the ballroom of the Mt Eden RSA creating natural shutters shifting Describe ways the windows were used as part of the set within the building built in the 1950s. How the light itself. production. • Physical use by actors • Technical use – lighting • Audience understanding – feeling – what did the windows make you think or feel?

24 25 26 THE MASTER BUILDER 2020 strip of steel attheirheart.” a vibrating all with instruments, in anevolved seriesof one-off this production istheseventh sounds. The shimsaw usedin players intentions into otherworldly sensitive pickupthattranslates the amp theentire contraption isa were built. When pluggedinto an It was here thattheshimsaws my dad’s factory inMt Roskill. sound of asawblade thatIheard at was inspired by myintrigueatthe to make anew soundsource. It traditional tensioned stringlayout vibrating strip of thinsteel with the 2-dimensional aspectof aflat the shimsaw: who tells usabout theevolution of supplied andplayed by Marcel Bear, sound design. The instrumentis features in John Gibson’s evocative THE SHIMSAW SOUND “The shimsaw combines the The unusualshimsaw instrument 27 THE MASTER BUILDER 2020 28 THE MASTER BUILDER 2020 Kalyani Nagarajan (Hilde), Hera Dunleavy (Mrs Solness) In performance from L –RNicola Kawana (DrHerdal), 29 THE MASTER BUILDER 2020 30 THE MASTER BUILDER 2020 • • • sequence. adreamlike in or monologue internal an entering we are that show ways you could different Brainstorm characters. used. was how it and (the scaffolding) Middle the in Space the about Think THE MIDDLE SPACE • • DRESSING SET AND PROPS OF USE transitions/flow. scene You discuss might performance. play’s have the on office) bedroom, kitchen, (ie: place arealistic having would effect What adesigner? as to consider you need might what look arealistic wanted director the and designing you were If • • place. arealistic creating than more space the used design This PLACE VS SPACE POST SHOW ACTIVITIES PERFORMANCE THE ON REFLECTING sound set design technology of use context. place, time, consider - audience the inform help to did pieces specific these what Discuss production. the in seen dressing set or any props List scenes take place? the did to; us took where performance the places the Describe performance. the in used set the annotate Sketch and Explain its effect on Explain the its effect audiences’ understanding of the play and

• • • characters’ role and the audience’s understanding of it? How did the use of language (verbal and physical) impact the • • play the within Hilde of function the Discuss interactions with Hilde and when alone. of drama techniques application actors the through seen as contrast of use the Explain • • • about: Think head. character’s the inside be could that amoment seeing we were that alluded director Thinking the how about Solness –discuss • • • • performance. the in moment this in character the of purpose intended the highlights Explain how the language (verbal/nonverbal) used by the actor Thinking about this moment. • • • • performance. Think about and discuss the in focus the was acharacter where amoment Describe CHARACTER Actors delivery of lines and action and lines of delivery Actors Writing style Status akey of idea reinforcement revelation of moments action of Use space of Use technology of Use shock factor historical/social context of language concept directorial the developed language the how use of drama techniques character to the drawn being focus the of effect the their position on stage moment that in focus the was character specific why that moment that in character the of function the – voice, body, movement, space, in Solness’s Solness’s in –voice, space, body, movement, 31 THE MASTER BUILDER 2020 32 THE MASTER BUILDER 2020 READING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND builder-actors-andrew-grainger-kalyani-nagarajan/ https://www.13thfloor.co.nz/watch-liz-gunn-talks-to-the-master- about the characters of Solness and Hilde here: Watch and listen to Andrew Grainger and Kalyani Nagarajan talk http://ibsensociety.org/ of America: Society Ibsen Ibsen: about More https://www.theatreview.org.nz/reviews/review.php?id=12362 here: production the of areview Read https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98_TUVE2UI4 2020): YouTube on play August 30 Watch the until (available

33 THE MASTER BUILDER 2020 34 THE MASTER BUILDER 2020 LEARNING LEARNING CREATIVE ATC curriculum development, literacy, and the Arts. on focuses which and students Auckland of education Arts the supports that programme popular and exciting an delivering on afocus with region Auckland greater the throughout students school secondary with contact ATC direct has Learning Creative place. to take imagination of acts foster that thinking of habits encouraging we are skills new learning or aplay, work, anew creating unpacking we are Whether practitioners and audiences. theatre young to nurture designed programme education arts innovative and acomprehensive is It educators. tertiary and secondary for aresource as acts and theatre in participation and teaching encourages and ATC promotes Learning Creative ENCOURAGING ACTS OF IMAGINATION questions. professional theatre are generally advantaged in answering these produced fully to experience able are who Students have seen. they theatre live about to write – AS91219, students Level 3–AS91518) require (Level level 1–AS90011, each Level at 2 examinations external NCEA The work. of course their in drama Zealand New of inclusion the 13) require 12 and 11, to years 8(equivalent 7and 6, levels Curriculum Context. in Arts the Understanding work, course their of apart as theatre live experiencing be (Years 9to 13) should students Drama school secondary All levels. three all at standards achievement NCEA the of many to relevance have direct also They 5to 8. levels from NZ Curriculum the of strands CI and UC PK, to the directly relate ATC activities Education LINKS CURRICULUM 35 THE MASTER BUILDER 2020 59 ORIGINAL PLAYS PUBLISHED IN 59 DAYS atc_youtharts