Experiencing A Doll’s House at the Almeida Theatre was something I will never forget. It was an incredibly impactful show, especially knowing the history and time in which it was written. I thought it was interesting, the choices made by the director to place the show in a more modern depiction. Having never seen the show or read it before, I had no pre-connotations of what to expect, which I was glad for. It gave me a fresh and completely new outlook on the show with no expectations. I thought that this new modern version of the show spoke more to the current generation and gave the audience more of a chance to relate to it on personal and intimate level.
I thought the director of this production conveyed Nora’s restrictive and claustrophobic experience tremendously. I thought the “caged bird” depiction showed through by Nora’s body language choices of consistently being on the floor throughout most of the show. She was also showed using her body as leverage during the show to appease her husband including dancing and several other ways when it seemed like she was out of options. I also noticed Nora being confined to the basement for most of the show, away from her kids and the rest of society which demonstrated the inner claustrophobia she felt within her marriage.
Looking at A Doll’s House from a designer’s perspective, I saw how the costumes conveyed the themes of the show. What stood out to me specifically was the dress her husband, Torvald, chose for her to wear, not just for his own pleasure, but for the party they were going to as well. This dress was revealing and embarrassing for her to wear, but Nora put up and dealt with it because she wanted to appease her husband giving in to his restrictive nature.
Theatre in London U of A 