A Doll's House

In 1879 when Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House was first staged, it was engulfed in scandal as it fully exposed how society’s restrictive expectations, particularly in regard to women, controlled their lives from the cradle to the grave.

With a comfortable home, a successful husband and two children, you may imagine that Nora Helmer’s life would be the envy of many, but this would be an illusion as her life and her home have been built on false foundations.

The family are emerging from a difficult period and their future is at last looking bright but past secrets are about to be revealed, which will threaten the very foundations upon which their lives have been built.

Women were not allowed any financial independence and to enable the family to take a holiday for the sake of her husband’s health and future well-being, Nora had borrowed some money. Each scene moves relentlessly towards the final devastating revelation of Nora’s secret which, when it becomes known, Torvald, her husband, is unwilling to acknowledge Nora’s indiscretion, believing that outward appearances to society at large are more important than a meaningful marriage. His stance brings to Nora that realisation that her marriage and life have been a sham as she has always lived her life in the way that her father and then her husband have expected of her rather than of being true to herself.

The cast are exceptional. Nora (Siena Kelly) displays a silliness and insensitivity which ultimately become a part of her downfall. She lies to Torvald (Tom Glenister) about the sweet macaroons which he has forbidden her to eat and whilst amusing, is clearly a part of the deceit and prevarications that comprise her life. Her complete insensitivity is clear when Christina, an old childhood friend, (Eleanore Sutton) unexpectedly calls with her tales of hardship and poverty and whilst Nora says ‘You must tell me everything’ immediately recounts her own debt problems, which are nowhere near as severe as poor Christina’s poverty-stricken situation. Nora’s insensitivity is even more pronounced when Dr. Rank (Aaron Anthony) explains to her that he is dying to which her response is ‘you are quite impossible this evening. I did hope you would be in a good mood’!

Torvald is portrayed as a hardworking man, devoted to his wife but only within the confines of societal expectations. He is convinced that his role in his marriage is to protect and instruct his innocent wife, indulging her from time to time but fully in control of his home and family.

The play is layered with irony upon irony as Krogstad (Eben Figueiredo) who lent Nora the money is now in danger of losing his employment, at the behest of Nora’s husband, his new employer, due to a past indiscretion, similar in nature to the indiscretion Nora herself committed as she forged her dying father’s signature to secure her loan. Christina and Krogstad had been lovers in the past. Each character having a connection with the other.

The play has been adapted by Chris Bush and under the direction of Elin Schofield is for me, a much more palatable production of Ibsen’s classic. The set design by Chiara Stephenson is simple and is ideally suited the Crucible’s round stage. The simplicity of the set allows the audience to focus entirely on the dialogue and acting.

There is some wit and humor and perhaps more importantly occasional references to modern day topical issues emphasising, if emphasis were needed, that the issues Ibsen highlighted in this play are just as relevant to day as they were 150 years ago at the play’s inception.

Sheffield Crucible Theatre Until 12th October