A modern version of a Doll’s House by Henrique Ibsen. I don’t have a lot of experience with the original, so you could say this was my first full experience with it. It was very interesting. It was definitely for a certain audience. After intermission, an elderly couple got up and left. I thought that it did do an excellent job of bringing the original play to a modern time and modern situation.
The set, however, was very lack luster and didn’t allow for a lot of blocking. The actors spent most of the time on the carpeted stage floor. But any furniture in the space would make it feel crowded and busy. So I don’t know what could have been done to change that. I was very intrigued by the lighting design. There was this really big “sky light” on the ceiling as the source. It changed colors and dimness to show passing of time and to set the mood.
There were also a lot of uncomfortable moments on stage that left the audience feeling uncomfortable.
I do think that the director did a good job at conveying the “caged bird” aspect of the character, Nora. She remained in this one room and almost never left unless it was with her husband or if her husband was aware. It felt like she was confined to this space. She didn’t even leave it to check on her children.
Overall, I would not see this production again. It was as if they were trying to say that this adaptation was for “adults”. They added anything they could shove in to make it that way. There was a lot of sex, drugs, stripping, and crude language. It made it feel unauthentic to me in that aspect. But the acting was very very natural. The conversations felt real. And the arguments too. Much praise to the actors. The show was just not my speed. I appreciate the effect of the uncomfortable feeling and why they did it. They wanted you to feel how uncomfortable the situation is. I also appreciate the modern adaptation and how they did it. I would recommend it for other people if they are a fan of the Doll’s House and want to see the story if it was set in modern time.
Below is the picture of the stage:
Theatre in London U of A 