The Wild Duck by Robert Icke

The Wild Duck by Robert Icke

A new version of The Wild Duck, Ibsen’s masterpiece about the nature of truth, in which a stranger intervenes to reveal the lies in the past of a family, with tragic consequences. In Icke's version the scenery and costumes grow gradually more naturalistic as the play progresses, and the characters break off from their lines to comment on the action and on Ibsen's life. 

A re-assessing of The Wild Duck: 

verb. to duck

1.     a quick lowering of the head (to avoid a blow or so as not to be seen) 2.     depart quickly 3.     avoid

noun. wild duck (more commonly known as mallard duck or anas platyrhynchos) – an undomesticated duck.

note. Due to its beautiful feathers, the mallard duck is one of the most popular ducks for hunters. When injured or threatened, ducks have been alleged to commit suicide, by diving to the bottom of the water, never returning to the surface. 

This version of The Wild Duck was produced at The Almeida Theatre, London, and a review in The Stage remarked: "Icke has a way of pinking the cheeks of canonical plays and making them breathe"

Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) has been described as 'the father of modern theatre'. Most of his early plays were traditional historical dramas. After 'Peer Gynt', a fairy-tale fantasy in verse, Ibsen wrote the rest of his plays in prose, and came to be regarded as the great Naturalist dramatist.



Robert Icke is a writer and director. As Associate Director of the Almeida, his work has included adapting and directing the multi-award-winning Oresteia and Mary Stuart (at the Almeida and in the West End), Uncle Vanya, and, with Duncan Macmillan, adapting and directing the smash-hit 1984, which has toured the UK and the world, played two seasons in the West End, and won several major awards. His directing work at the Almeida includes Hamlet, the Iliad, the Odyssey, The Fever and Mr Burns.