Peer Gynt
September 24 -
October 24, 2027
Peer Gynt in Two Parts for The Full Six Hour Epic Journey
Henrik Ibsen’s entire two-part epic play in a new translation by Paul Walsh for a limited time event on stage. Peel back the layers of the onion in this epic tale of bad choices while traveling the world and back.
Many theatregoers are familiar with the later works of Henrik Ibsen, whose famous plays include A Doll’s House, Hedda Gabler, An Enemy of the People, and The Master Builder. These now-famous pieces, characterized by their realistic style, nuanced characters, and sharp social commentary, are still performed regularly over a century after their initial publication. Peer Gynt, by contrast, is almost never professionally produced—and for obvious reasons.
This two-part fantasy drama follows the titular Peer on an epic journey from adolescence to adulthood. The setting spans from Norway to Egypt and back, and its cast of over fifty characters includes trolls, fairies, spirits, talking birds, dancers, musicians, and a host of fantastical beings adapted or invented by Ibsen himself. The script describes Peer in impossible situations; riding a giant pig, crossing a river, and struggling for his life on a sinking ship.
The Alley’s production of Peer Gynt will be the first major American production of the play since La Jolla Playhouse’s 2011 production and the Guthrie Theatre’s 2008 production. Unlike these two significantly cut productions, the Alley will be producing the play in full, maintaining Ibsen’s original five-act structure.
For this reason, our production will be presented in two parts, which can be watched over consecutive evenings—or, for the more adventurous audience members, back-to-back in a single day. This will be both a new and exciting experience for our audiences here in Houston, as well as a major theatrical event for classical theatre fans and Ibsen scholars across the world.
We are currently in the middle of a development process for Peer Gynt. Earlier this year, we workshopped the new translation for two full weeks, with a team of over 20 actors and two musicians. During this time, we were also joined by our world-class team of designers, to kick-off the process of creating the scenic, sound, costume, and lighting elements of this massive production.