When We Dead Awaken at the Coronet Theatre

Following a successful run of The Lady from the Sea in 2019, the Norwegian Ibsen Company returns to London to present the last play ever written by Henrik Ibsen. When We Dead Awaken is a meditative look at relationships and how easily lovers are deceived as they project their hopes and fantasies onto their partners. Performed mostly in Norwegian with English surtitles, the story unfolds with a minimal but charming set as its background. The stage has a vintage feel, as of an abandoned house, and at the centre there’s a narrow stream of water running through a mound of rubble, representing the mountainous setting. 

Rubek (Øystein Røger), a well-known sculptor, and his young wife Maia (Andrea Bræin Hovig) have just returned to their native land after a long time spent travelling. They are unhappy in their marriage, and coming to terms with the idea of having to spend the rest of their lives living miserably. Then, the woman who long ago inspired Rubek’s most celebrated sculpture, Irene (Ragnhild Margrethe Gudbrandsen), reappears in his life. Meanwhile, a reckless bear hunter named Ulfhejm (James Browne) offers to take Maia on an adventure to the mountaintop – something Rubek had promised her during their courtship, but never did. 

Rubek’s idealised picture of his muse has him convinced that she holds the key to his creative powers, and that her presence alone can inspire him. Irene has spent years thinking about the sculpture representing her and sees it as an extension of her own identity, even referring to it as their child. She is therefore taken aback when Rubek confesses that he has since revised the sculpture and added other figures next to hers, diminishing her importance.

It’s impossible not to appreciate Ibsen’s reflections on art, desire and identity as seen through the lens of a relationship. The bittersweet sense of never really grasping what one truly desires permeates all his dialogues. Unfortunately, this doesn’t come across quite as effectively through the surtitles, especially as the play is very dialogue-centred with virtually no action sequences to give the audience a chance to observe the actors for any length of time and get immersed in the characters’ world. 

Still, it’s a wonderful opportunity to experience Ibsen’s work in its original language, and although the play never reaches the emotional highs that the themes could allow, it does win the audience over with its beautiful and haunting feeling of melancholy. 

Mersa Auda
Photos: Tristram Kenton

When We Dead Awaken is at the Coronet Theatre until 2^nd April 2022. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.