Caroline Lawton, Risher Reddick, and Caleb Mayo in Peer Gynt. Photo by Robert Torres.
The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s (SLSO) 24/25 season continued last weekend with two performances of Peer Gynt: An Epic Tale at the Stifel Theatre. Written by renowned music director Bill Barclay, An Epic Tale is an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s 1867 play Peer Gynt, considered one of the canonical works of Norwegian literature. Barclay’s production is a combination of stage play and orchestral concert, with the SLSO performing the score originally written for the play by composer Edvard Grieg, one of the eminent figures in Scandinavian classical music. (Please refer to our preview piece for an in-depth overview of the history behind both works.)
Due to the unwieldy nature of Ibsen’s original work (Barclay has noted in past interviews that it would take nearly five hours to properly stage the play as Ibsen wrote it), An Epic Tale presents a majorly condensed version of Peer Gynt, clocking in at roughly two hours including an intermission. A synopsis of Peer Gynt’s plot is difficult given itsrambling structure, but, in brief, the play follows the adventures of the title character (played by Caleb Mayo), a freewheeling layabout living in the Norwegian countryside, as he embarks on a lifelong journey of self-discovery.
Along the way, Peer gets into many bizarre predicaments, including a narrowly averted shotgun wedding to the daughter of the king of trolls (Risher Reddick), a brief stint as a prophet in Morocco, and a forced commitment to an insane asylum in Cairo. Throughout his bizarre journeys, Peer clings to his motto of “to thyself, be true,” with the play becoming a morality tale that interrogates the virtue of giving top priority to one’s self-interest. (Ibsen’s play was intended as a satire of Norwegian cultural attitudes on individualism.) The events of the story are narrated by the Button Moulder (Robert Walsh), an omniscient, grim reaper-like figure who, in the play’s climax, forces Peer to reflect on whether a life lived selfishly is a life well-spent.
As previously noted, Barclay’s adaptation follows the source material very loosely, its dialogue full of snappy, anachronistic jokes which, as was the case with Ibsen’s play, are all delivered in rhyming verse. By comparison, the score, as performed by the SLSO, is largely untouched from Grieg’s original work, although the pieces are shortened for brevity. The contrast between Grieg’s traditional score and the wacky humor of Barclay’s script—e.g., the Button Moulder (Walsh) expressing his gratitude that Ibsen’s work has entered the public domain, the Troll King (Reddick) making references to internet trolling—could be somewhat jarring at times, and I could see how a season ticket holder expecting a mannered night at the symphony hall would be somewhat taken aback by the broad comedy.
I was ultimately won over by the charm and wit of the performances, including Mayo’s cocky and eternally optimistic Peer and the scenery chewing Reddick’s Troll King, who engaged in a bit of fourth wall-breaking roasting, referring to SLSO conductor as “Mr. Stéphane ‘I have every possibly accent in my name’ Denève” and offering to “raise [him] an umlaut.” Reddick’s hammy ad libbing was made even more hilarious by his troll costume, with cast member Kortney Adams standing behind him and gesturing with rubber troll limbs held up to his torso.
With this being a hybrid between a stage production and an orchestral concert, each scene in the play concludes with the symphony performing a piece from Grieg’s score. The second half of the performance features the score much more prominently, also including vocal performances from opera singer Camilla Tilling (in the role of Solveig) and some terrific choreography from Mayo and Adams (in the role of Anitra). For that reason, I felt Barclay’s ambition of a seamless merging between the actors and the orchestra was more apparent in the second half of the performance.
Overall, Barclay’s An Epic Tale presents a unique concert hall experience, paying affectionate tribute to two giants of Norwegian art. As someone who is an enthusiast of classical music, theater, and Trolls 2, I highly recommend seeing this production the next time it is staged in a city near you. | David von Nordheim
Directed by Bill Barclay
Starring Caleb Mayo (Peer Gynt), Camilla Tilling (Solveig/sopranist), Vidar Skrede (playing the Hardanger fiddle), Ase (Marya Lowry), Robert Walsh (The Button Moulder), Kortney Adams (Ingrid, Anitra), Daniel Berger-Jones (Alsak, Begriffenfeldt), Caroline Lawton (The Woman in Green), Risher Reddick (The Dovre King, Mads Moen), Will Lyman (The Boyg), and ensemble
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra conducted by Stéphane Denève
St. Louis Symphony Chorus directed by Erin Freeman
