A Doll’s House
This production of
A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen is a missed opportunity.
CandyKing Theatre present a world premiere of a new translation by Ida Forde. With it they could have pushed the boundaries by putting the play in a new setting
in order to bring a different perspective to a piece which is often performed. However
they opt for a traditional approach which, although well performed, does not
challenge the audience as it could.
A controversial piece when
it was first produced, A Doll’s House centres around Nora,
the prized possession and wife of Torvold. Nora commits fraud in order to help
her husband recover from illness but her crime is uncovered by Krogstad, a
future employee of her husband, and he blackmails her in order to reclaim his
position in society. The conclusion of the play brings about a complete change
in behaviour and attitudes as it is Nora who grabs hold of her destiny, leaving
Torvold behind in his house without his doll.
Kate Dion-Richard is ideally
cast as Nora, displaying perfectly the self-obsessed, spoilt ‘doll’ and the
strong-willed, empowered woman she becomes. Brett Harris is too young to play
Torvold, making his physicality feel forced. This is not to say that Harris is
not a talented actor: he is particularly strong in Torvald’s distressed state
in Act Two. Dr Rank is an imposing,
sinister character who ends up a sad, lonely old man, portrayed effectively in
a poignant performance by Jose Domingos. The other actors provide strong
support, with particular mention due to Ross Finbow as the blackmailing
Norgstad.
The set by Philip John and
music by Dylan Freed add effectively to the overall atmosphere of the play. As
an audience member you feel as if you are sitting right in the midst of the
action. At times Marialuisa Chiorando’s direction gets in the way of the
action: characters stand with their backs to the audience, thereby blocking
our view of the character they are talking to. However, this is a minor
quibble.
The strength of Ibsen’s
writing and this new translation could have allowed CandyKing Theatre to
breathe new life into this play by bringing the story up-to-date. After all, we
still live in age where women (and men) are oppressed and money troubles are at
the forefront of people’s minds. However, they fail to do so, keeping it lodged
firmly in the past, which is a shame given the obvious talent of this young,
vibrant company.
– Andrew Roach
