Culture Editor Ruby Kwartz review a contemporary adaptation of a Victorian classic, praising it’s enlightening reflection on how women’s rights have (or haven’t) evolved over the past 100 years
Henrik Ibsen’s revolutionary and controversial play A Doll’s House was first performed over 150 years ago. However, the play’s exploration of the ways in which women are disrespected, oppressed and condescended by the men closest to them is as applicable today as it was in the Victorian era. Olivier and BAFTA winner Stef Smith’s adaptation of this monumental play, first performed in 2019 and recently revived by the Crescent Theatre, explores this through her innovative restaging of this monumental classic. The essential difference which sets this adaptation apart is that Nora: A Doll’s House has not one but three versions of Nora; the first from 1918, the second from the 60s and the third from 2018.
The production followed Ibsen’s original characters and plot, with a dramatic blackmail storyline and intrusion of the liberated Christine, who is a dramatic contrast to the adaptation’s titular protagonist. Nora is confined to her domestic role as a wife and mother by her nauseatingly condescending Husband Thomas, who dismisses her as a frivolous woman without knowledge of her true strengths and capabilities. The adaptation translated this plot across the three eras, replacing a telegram for a phone call in the 60s, and a text in the 21st century. Each actor playing Nora indicated their respective time period through their costume, yet the male characters traversed the time boundaries through changing their accent or demeanour. The three actresses also used this technique to transition into their portrayal of Christine in a time period which was not their own. Overall, the cast seamlessly switched between the eras and character, and the rapid transitions became easier to follow as the play progressed.
“the cast seamlessly switched between the eras and character
Smith effectively balanced the original play with its modern intrusions, using a lot of Ibsen’s original language and imagery. This loyalty to the original also manifested some of the critiques of Ibsen’s play, as single setting of a living room and fairly literal dialogue made the action slightly repetitive. However, the feeling of monotony felt by the audience perfectly replicated Nora’s entrapment, as other characters entered and exited the stage whilst she remained limited to the domestic space of her living room.
The play started slow, but became more engaging as the action picked up speed. Lydia White stood out in her sensitive presentation of 1918 Nora and 1960s Christine, which used the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967 to lay the groundwork for a new interrogation of the nature of Nora and Christine’s relationship. Tom Lowde also gave an incredible performance of Thomas Helmer, perfectly encapsulating his oppressive love in which he views his wife like a child.
“this adaptation opened up new ways of understanding the original play
As someone who studied the play at A Level (I reckon that there were a few A Level/former A Level students in the audience) I wondered whether the adaptation was just a gimmick, and I was a little nervous about what it would entail for a classic that I knew so well. However, I genuinely believe that this adaptation opened up new ways of understanding the original play and provided a unique and slightly chilling insight into how little women’s rights have evolved over the past century, particularly regarding financial literacy and domesticity. Whilst the play’s structure was initially a bit tricky to grasp and occasionally lapsed into some Am-Dram clichés, it left the audience with a clear awareness that, whilst some aspects of life have changed for women over the past 100 years, the foundations of our patriarchal society have not changed as much as we give ourselves credit for. However, in line with Ibsen’s radical narrative, there is also an undercurrent of hope for the future of female empowerment.
Whether you have seen A Doll’s House before or not, this one-act play is well-worth the watch.
Rating: 4/5
Nora: A Doll’s House is running at the Crescent Theatre until 22nd March 2025.
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