A Doll’s House at The Almeida Theater was…an adaptation for sure! The script was a complete modernization of the original play, and even deviated from the original themes. Although it shared the same name as the Ibsen work, I would say it is a completely different play. Nora did not feel caged or stuck to me. In fact, Torvald seemed supportive of her and didn’t trap her like the character in Ibsen’s script did. Especially in the beginning of the play, he was very open and warm to her, didn’t call her any demeaning names or use language that might suggest he wanted to keep her under his control. Until the scene with the dress and the final scene when he learns the secret, he plays as a genuinely supportive and caring husband. Honestly, I was rooting for him more than I was Nora. Nora felt very much in control of her decisions, like she was actively making the worst possible choices and knowingly being a bad person. The whole point of Ibsen’s play is that Nora and Torvald are just symptoms of their society and are not truly in control of what they do or say. However, there is no real evidence that Nora was taught to be submissive and diminish her own desires. Even the set, though it was in a basement, was very open and bright. The use of a large light on the ceiling of the set that almost looked like a sky light and the bright white walls and carpet only reinforced that feeling. Additionally, her access to modern technology and having two friends who she can openly talk to truly diminished any sense of isolation the director wanted to create. This all being said, I did enjoy the show. I think it needed to be its own play and distance itself from A Doll’s House because it differed so much from the original intention. In conclusion, this production should have been called, “I’m Looking for a Man in Finance.”
-Milly
Theatre in London U of A 