The University of Glasgow
Directors / adaptors
Erica Kate O’Neill
Abraham Parkerclare
Cast
Agent X – Esther Bain
MX – Sinead Linsley
Agent Y – Olga Silkina
MY – Imogen Stirling
The Stronger explores the power struggle evident in human psychology, addresseing the ‘Woman Question’ and confronting the audience with timeless themes. Researching the presence of female agency in Strindberg’s plays, we examined the text of The Stronger and identified the key themes of betrayal, infidelity and hierarchy working within a masculine hegemonic society.
Opposing critical assumptions of the misogyny evident in Strindberg’s plays, we explored the roles of the women acting within the confines of this society and discussed whether the female characters in his plays have their own autonomy.
The women present on stage are representative of fragments of one character’s mind. While some parts are incapable of action and controlled by their persona’s ‘agents’, others are capable of speech and autonomy facing the climactic confrontation of a destabilised relationship.