This is the ultimate sequel. What happened after Nora went out that door at the end of Ibsen’s original A Doll’s House?
She went on living and after some initial struggles, quite successfully too, turning herself into a writer with a heart for women’s issues.
In this sequel she returns because she needs husband Torvald to complete a proper divorce. She’s moved on, he’s hung on. Then there’s her daughter Emmy who hasn’t figured gender issues out yet, very self assured but on the cusp of a marriage which might confine her as Nora’s did.
And the housekeeper and maid of all work, Anne Marie, who was left to cope with Nora’s three children at the expense of her own family, has a lot of strong words to say about all of this.
Lainie Hart is a powerful and assured Nora, Elaine Noon is caring and perceptive as Anne Marie, Anna Lorenz makes daughter Emmy clear eyed and strong and Rhys Robinson as Torvald is still wonderfully struggling to understand why Nora left.
It’s a no interval fast running piece, full of fierce language and done on a set by Tom Berger that is spare and stark and elegant. A long staircase, tall back lit windows, minimal furniture and of course the famous door is about all. And it is enough in this play which comes straight to various points in a series of terse scenes, encouraging all kinds of thoughts about the issues. Which are far from outdated.
