OVERVIEW

• Playwright

  Frank McGuinness 

• Adapted / Translated From

  Henrik Ibsen

• Author Notes

  A new version from a literal translation of Ibsen's 1896 play.

• Setting

  The action takes place during a winter evening at the Rentheim family estate outside the capital.

• Synopsis

  John Gabriel Borkman was once a great man. Wealthy, powerful, revered. He gave up love for success and was handsomely rewarded.

  But now, disgraced and destitute after a financial scandal and jail, the former director of the bank paces out each day, alone in an upstairs room, planning his comeback.

  Downstairs his wife Gunhild lives a parallel life, plotting for their son to restore the family’s reputation. The claustrophobia of their lives is shattered once and for all with the arrival of Gunhild’s twin sister Ella, the woman whose love Borkman gave away…

• Play Type

  Adaptation/Translation
  

  Number Of Acts

  Full-Length

Cast size

• Male

  3

• Female

  5

• Total

  8

Original Production

• Date of First Production

  13 October 2010

• Production Notes

  Performed as part of the 2010 Dublin Theatre Festival

• Producer

  Produced by Abbey Theatre/Amharclann na Mainistreach

• Original Venue

  Abbey Theatre/Amharclann na Mainistreach
  

Source Of Information

The information for this entry was taken from the original production programme.