THE HIGHLY-acclaimed Henrik Ibsen play, John Gabrial Borkman, played to audiences at Richmond Theatre last week.

Set in late 19th Century Oslo, John Gabriel Borkman is a man who has spent the past eight years in voluntary seclusion since serving a prison sentence for embezzlement.

His estranged wife, Gunhild, a tough and bitter woman, strives to be recompensed' for the humiliation she has suffered at the hands of her husband.

Starved of affection, she turns to her son, Erhart, and driven by genuine maternal love, as well as bitterness and pride, is determined to control her only hope of retribution.

However, her desires do not come unchallenged, with the arrival of her twin sister, Ella Rentheim. Although lacking the bitterness and despair of her sister, she too wishes to secure the love of her nephew, and for him to bear her name after her death, leaving the young and charming Erhart torn between his mother, aunt and the enticements of the older, more sexually-experienced divorcee, Mrs Wilton.

But no one is more torn and paralysed than Borkman himself, and his attempts to requite those he has done wrong can lead to but one outcome.

One of Ibsen's last works, this is a masterful study in pride, jealousy, unrequited love and the stifling power that one man's stubborn will can have over his family, and, when played well, is a marvel to watch.

And that's where there's a problem. The performances all round were very weak and unconvincing and failed to convey the psychological detail and human observation intended to reach out to the audience. At times it felt like an episode of EastEnders, with the opening scene, in particular, between Gillian Hanna (Gunhild) and Linda Bassett (Ella Rentheim), possessing all the chemistry of an alkaline and acid combination - a bad mix indeed.

And although Michael Pennington (John Gabriel Borkman) delivers a stronger performance in his role as the stubborn miner's son, that is by no means a compliment.

James Loye, as Erhart Borkman, and Fanny Wilton, as Mairead Carty, gave mediocre performances, while Fred Pearson (Vilhiem Foldal) failed to deliver in his comic role as the father to the shy Frida (Jemma Powell), a naturally talented musician.

In essence, this production lacked depth and strength, and failed to emit the icy austerity of Ibsen's masterpiece.

One of the play's novelties is that the action runs continuously from act to act, providing a unity of time, even while locations shift, but the performances do little to do credit to what is commonly regarded as one of the greatest achievements of Ibsen's last years.

The play was presented by the English Touring Theatre, which has staged many award-winning productions of work by the late writer. It is directed by Stephen Unwin, using a new translation by Stephen Mulrine.

April 28, 2003 16:00