The Crucible, Sheffield – until 12 October 2024
Reviewed by Sal E Marino
5*****
Intense, dramatic and spectacular perfectly describes Chris Bush’s adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House which is currently showing at the Crucible, Sheffield. As the mum of an A Level English Literature student, I primarily took my daughter to see this play in order to help her with her studies but have come away astounded by what I witnessed on the stage! I can honestly say there was not a minute went by when either of us weren’t mesmerised and fully engaged in Nora Helmer’s story of self-discovery and transformation.
Siena Kelly, who plays Nora quite simply blew me away with her performance. I loved Nora by the end of the play and she now stands up there as one of my all-time, most favourite and inspirational literary characters. The courage and bravery she finds to step out of the life that her childhood and society have conditioned her to live in was not only moving to watch but the way Kelly plays it – exhilarating! The tension just builds and builds until, without giving too much away, you know you are witnessing not just a life-changing decision but one that comes from the soul and is a paradigm shift in the whole of the world at large.
When Henrik Ibsen first penned A Doll’s House, around one hundred and fifty years ago, it was so shocking for the Victorian audience to watch that the ending was changed for a while to help soothe the public’s reaction. They simply weren’t ready for such a disruptive concept that could shatter households. Furthermore, it’s even crazier to think that what was reflected in that ‘Doll’s House’ is still relevant and playing out in homes today. Torvald, Nora’s husband played by the equally brilliant Tom Glenister, could be called out as being a true villain but he, like Nora, is also just taking on a role that he had been primed to play. His beliefs that his wife is his property and that she must behave like he wants her to was constructed when the term ‘bread-winner’ was invented many years ago. Like other men of that time and indeed even today, he had simply not evolved enough to see a woman as his equal and continued to ‘play’ with her but also continue to be ‘played’ himself by the systems of commerce and materialism.
In complete contrast to the state of the Helmers, who by the end of the play present as a broken couple, are Krogstad (Eben Figueiredo) and Christina (Eleanor Sutton). These two lay their souls bare to one another by admitting their mistakes and misfortunes and from that pure honesty find a freedom that allows true love. Christina tells Nora to ‘have faith’ but that faith comes in place where Nora thought she’d never find it, in herself. Other characters in Ibsen’s masterpiece are Dr Rank (Aaron Anthony) who as the play unfolds turns out to be a foil character to Torvald and Anna (Mel Lowe), Nora’s ill-fated replacement.
This whole production is outstanding and the creative team must also share the well-deserved kudos and praise for devising a most functional and attractive set. The ‘house’ with its soft lighting and simple Christmas theme is a superb back-drop that makes the scene changes faultless and creates interesting shadows that conjure up different moods and atmospheres. When Nora declares that she’s tired of bells and costumes and changes from a glittering fancy dress attire to somber black, the audience knows it’s a key moment in the play. “Aren’t you too old to be playing with dolls?” and “I am a product of your image.” are lines that Nora delivers with heart and soul. These words become a game-changer for her as she shines brightly with a truth which needs no glittering trinkets to reflect her inner light.
A Doll’s House is unforgettable, gripping and electrifying – it takes you on Nora’s sensational and powerful journey and perhaps on reflection your very own too!