Kumla Bibliotek

In Henrik Ibsen's play 'Little Eyolf' we meet Alfred Allmer and his wife Rita, whose marriage and relationship has been strained ever since their son, Eyolf, fell from a table as an infant and became lame. Alfred has been burying himself in work, writing his philosophical thesis on 'human responsibility’. Meanwhile, Rita still feels a lot of desire towards Alfred and is jealous of everyone who comes near him. But when little Eyolf is lured away by the Rat-Wife and drowns in a lake, the couple must learn how to be husband and wife all over again. The Norwegian playwright and poet Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) is one of the founders of Modernism in theatre, creating a genre that puts human psychology at the center of the plot, and stories that revolve around a past that is impossible to escape. Ibsen is the second most performed playwright, right after Shakespeare, and is world famous for plays such as 'A Doll's House,' 'Peer Gynt' and 'Hedda Gabler." He wrote over a twenty plays, which have gone on to be performed on scenes across the globe.