Peter Gynt Tickets
James McArdle stars in Peter Gynt, a re-imagining of Ibsen’s epic, sprawling classic at the National Theatre. Adapted by Olivier Award winner David Hare, this towering modern myth plays in the Olivier Theatre.
Peter Gynt is an ordinary man who dreams of becoming more. In David Hare’s sharp and satirical re-imagining, Ibsen’s unruly antihero traverses the globe after stealing away a local bride. From the poolside heat of Florida to the dry deserts of Egypt, Gynt embarks on a remarkable journey of transformation populated by talking hyenas, two-headed trolls, and a final return to his Scottish homeland.
James McArdle won the 2015 Ian Charleson Award, First Prize, for Platonov and has since delivered bravura performances in the multi-award-winning revival of Angels in America and Ivanov. He most recently appeared in Mary Queen of Scots on screen.
Further casting includes Oliver Ford Davies (Racing Demon; Goodnight Mister Tom), Tamsin Carroll (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) and Guy Henry (BBC’s Holby City; The Changeling).
Playwright David Hare has worked prolifically at the National Theatre, with recent credits including The Red Barn and I’m Not Running. A writer and director for screen and stage, he won the 2011 PEN Pinter Prize.
His adaptation of Peer Gynt is directed by former Almeida Artistic Director Jonathan Kent (The Country Wife; Gypsy) with sets and costumes from Tony Award winner Richard Hudson (The Lion King) and movement by Polly Bennett (The Lehman Trilogy BBC’s Killing Eve).
Transporting ancient Scandinavian parables to the modern day, Peter Gynt is a dazzling and wholly unique piece of theatre with a virtuoso central performance from McArdle. It runs at the Olivier Theatre from 16 August 2019.
Sorry this show closed 09 October 2019, we recommend these similar productions.
Peter Gynt Reviews
User Reviews
A very bizarre show, which I knew barely anything about before seeing, but has a fantastic central performance from James McArdle, some catchy enough songs and interesting staging. It is very long though but if you want to see something very unusual Read more
Peter Gynt, a name repeated so many times it starts to sound like a Shakespearian era insult, is a fascinatingly strange play. Updated by David Hare from the original Ibsen, Peer Gynt, it retains the plot in its entirety as we follow a morally selfis Read more
An energetic show. This modern interpretation of an Ibsen work, sometimes considered arduous, kept the tempo high. James McArdle gave an emphatic performance that steered the show admirably through its many mythical twists and turns.