Synopsis First performed in Copenhagen in 1879. Christmas Eve. Excitement and love filled the Helmer's apartment. Nora is her husband's cherished 'songbird' and the romance of their marriage has been played out over the years. But beneath the carefree surface of their lives, the secret of how Nora saved her husband's life begins to emerge. Tension increases as the characters react against one another and this taut and gripping drama ends as Nora demands her right to individual freedom. One of the great landmark plays of the nineteenth century. In this new version of Ibsen's 1879 classic, written by Further Than the Furthest Thing’s Zinnie Harris, the action takes place against the backdrop of British politics at the turn of the last century, in a world where duty, power and hypocrisy rule.
Following Samuel Adamson's recent Little Eyolf and Lucy Kirkwood's Hedda, Zinnie Harris became the latest playwright to update Ibsen with her much-anticipated new adaptation of the Norwegian's 1879 masterpiece A Doll's House, which opened last night at the Donmar Warehouse (See Today's 1st Night Photos).
Harris sets the action against the backdrop of British politics at the turn of the last century, in a world where duty, power and hypocrisy rule. Nora thinks she has the perfect life until a ghost from the past returns, and makes her realise she’s stuck in a suffocating marriage.
Overnight critics generally enjoyed the performances of an “outstanding company”, but most were less flattering in their assessment of Harris' adaptation. Whatsonstage.com's Michael Coveney deemed it a “slack, anachronistic text”, while the Daily Telegraph's Charles Spencer accused the writer of taking “some liberties” with the original. But on the whole it was agreed that, largely due to the strength of the performances (Anderson and Stephens making for a “devilishly handsome” pairing), the long wait for this star-filled Doll's House was worth it.
Michael Coveney on Whatsonstage.com (four stars) - “Harris over-complicates the story by giving it a national political edge … Despite a slack, anachronistic text - it doesn’t sound much like Ibsen, nor is it all that Edwardian - the acting in Kfir Yefet’s production is outstanding … Anderson and Stephens - a devilishly handsome couple they make, too - are bravely complemented by Christopher Eccleston’s bitterly vengeful Lancastrian Kelman and Anton Lesser’s vulpine, bespectacled Dr Rank … The quality casting extends to Tara Fitzgerald’s Christine Lyle (Mrs Lynde in Ibsen), a resolute best friend to both Nora and Kelman, with distinct echoes of her own vinegary Nora at the Birmingham Rep some years ago.”
Charles Spencer in the Daily Telegraph (three stars) - “By and large I don't approve of rewriting the classics ... I therefore have some qualms about this production of Ibsen's great feminist drama. Zinnie Harris has certainly taken some liberties ... Blessed with an outstanding company, Kfir Yefet's production delivers where it matters, though he could ratchet up the tension even more forcefully. Gillian Anderson has come a long way from her X-Files days, and she is a superb Nora ... Toby Stephens bitingly captures the insufferable superiority, patronising cruelty and unearned grandeur of her complacent husband ... and there is strong support ... Nevertheless, I'd rather have seen this terrific cast in a faithful translation rather than Harris' hubristic adaptation.”
Henry Hitchings in the Evening Standard (three stars) - “Ibsen’s drama is a powerful statement of his radical beliefs about gender, the folly of idealism and the nature of modern love. In essence, it is the story of woman who wakes up to reality … This is hardly the stuff of parched antiquity, but Zinnie Harris’ new version of the play updates it - in a manner at once topical and trite ... The attempt at relevance nevertheless feels gratuitous. If anything, it works against the play. And there are real problems of credibility ... Ultimately the production succeeds on the strength of the performances. But this fine group of actors, crisply marshalled by Kfir Yefet, would have been better served by a different version of the play.”
Benedict Nightingale in The Times (three stars) - “Gillian Anderson … is still required to make one of the trickiest transitions in drama. By comparison the switch from skinflint Scrooge to spendthrift Scrooge is a synch and the jump from Jekyll to Hyde a mere matter of twisting the mouth into an evil scowl ... Does Anderson manage it? Just about. She's helped by Harris' script, which means that from the start she talks more assertively than her prototype ... The sexism is still there, though it's less pronounced than in the original ... Harris makes plenty of other changes, some awkward, some not ... And the overall result? Not so much a Doll's House for feminists but maybe one for those of us still boggling at arrogance, selfishness and hypocrisy in high places today.”
Michael Billington in the Guardian (three stars) - “Everyone is busy giving Ibsen a makeover … Now Zinnie Harris sets Ibsen's most famous domestic drama in 1909 London. The result is not as dumb as the National's Mrs Affleck and at least gets Gillian Anderson back on the stage. But it still feels like a diluted version of a great play … I presume Harris' intention is raise the dramatic stakes and show the continuing nature of female oppression. The actual result of her tinkering is to make Ibsen's play resemble a dressy melodrama on the lines of Wilde's An Ideal Husband … Within the script's limitations Toby Stephens is excellent as Thomas: overbearing and suitably self-righteous. Tara Fitzgerald, herself a former Nora, is also very good as Christine.”
Messing about with Ibsen has become a bit of a trend lately, and playwright Zinnie Harris follows a misfired update (not hers) of Hedda Gabler at the Gate with a not totally convincing re-write of A Doll's House as an Edwardian political sob story with new furnishings and fittings.
In Ibsen, the small-town worlds of finance and the law are crucially intertwined, so that Nora’s forged signature to secure repayments on her husband Torvald’s medical bills assumes a nightmare significance; the barrister Krogstad knows she won’t want to lose face in the locality.
Harris over-complicates the story by giving it a national political edge and having Thomas (ie, Torvald) and Nora Vaughan move into Neil Kelman’s (ie, Krogstad’s) former house, a great booming barn in Anthony Ward’s design, with rows of empty curved shelves and piles of packing cases. A huge Christmas tree stands forlornly in the corner.
Thomas is newly appointed to the cabinet, Kelvin thrown out of office on possibly spurious allegations of fraud. Nora has had twins (Abby Negus and William Nye, the opening night pair, look about eight years old in this version) not three children. Gillian Anderson plays Nora as a fragile beauty, cornered by her own protective instincts and cruelly abused by Toby Stephens’ violently unreasonable Thomas.
Despite a slack, anachronistic text - it doesn’t sound much like Ibsen, nor is it all that Edwardian - the acting in Kfir Yefet’s production is outstanding. Anderson’s Nora is affectionately known as “mouse” by Thomas, and she has a wonderful quality of quivering, jumpy sensitivity, unleashing all sorts of pent up frustrations in the great tarantella scene, her dress transforming blues into mauve under Hugh Vanstone’s expressive lighting.
Anderson and Stephens - a devilishly handsome couple they make, too - are bravely complemented by Christopher Eccleston’s bitterly vengeful Lancastrian Kelman and Anton Lesser’s vulpine, bespectacled Dr Rank, unexpectedly teased by Nora with a pair of black stockings she’s found under the Christmas tree.
The quality casting extends to Tara Fitzgerald’s Christine Lyle (Mrs Lynde in Ibsen), a resolute best friend to both Nora and Kelman, with distinct echoes of her own vinegary Nora at the Birmingham Rep some years ago; and Maggie Wells’ bustling housemaid, who seems to have wandered in from Upstairs Downstairs.
Brilliant acting from all concerned, though I thought Gillian Anderson was particularly affecting. I'm usually very wary of film and TV actors treading the boards but she gave one of the performances of the year. Highly recommended. - addicted to theatre
06 Jul 09
Sometimes ignorance is an advantage. I have no previous experience of A Doll's House so Zinnie Harris' updating did not offend me as much as the critics and indeed some patrons leaving the Donmar. In fact the political context raised many rueful laughs as Toby Stephens railed about the need for trust and integrity. However, Ms Harris also saddled Christopher Eccleston with some appallingly anachronistic dialogue and he responded with a cackhanded performance which bore absoloutely no resemblance to an Edwardian Cabinet minister, however discredited. Elsewhere the performances are exemplary, lead by Gillian Anderson (flawless accent in place). She brilliantly conveyed the growing sense of horror and revulsion at the consequences of her actions and proved that Nora had far more substance than anyone gave her credit for - she even seemed to physically diminish between Acts I & II. I am a huge fan of Ibsen but have not managed to see A Doll's House until now. This was a very fine production but one that made me determined to see the play that Ibsen actually wrote. - David Baxter
25 Jun 09
I have to admit: I don't know the original play, so I can't compare. But I absolutely loved this play, so I guess it can stand on it's on, when you don't know Ibsen's original version.
What impressed me the most about the play though are the actors. I don't really know what the reviewer from 12th june saw, but I thought Toby Stephens was brilliant. And there is absolutely NO way Eccleston could've played his role. Eccleston wasn't perfect as Kelman, that's true indeed, but I don't see why he would've been better as Thomas. (not to mention: Anderson and Stephens have an amazing chemistry)
Matter of factly I thought Gillian Anderson and Toby Stephens gave the strongest perfromances and the last act left me speechless.
The play was full of dramatic moments, but also filled with a humor that sometimes made you laugh simply because you felt so uncomfortable. (very black humor indeed)
The play truly left me thinking and I think it's worth buying a ticket just to see these amazing actors at work. - Marion
14 Jun 09
Wow....just wow. This was my first London play experience which left me physical shaking in the end. Even when Toby Youngs' character Thomas threads Nora like a child, I felt sorry for him in the end. I also felt the way how the door closed very fitting. I also read Ibsens' original version after I have seen the new version and the original pales in comparison. Zinnie Harris adaption is clever, ironic and full of black humor. I had a great time as had the audience. The whole cast is superb, but Gillian Anderson as Nora and Toby Young as Thomas are outstanding. Those two have a sizzling chemistry which sucked me in within mere seconds as both of them were on stage. Tara Fitzgerald and Christopher Eccleston shine in a scene in the thrid act.
A great acted, very entertaining play and well worth to get up early and queue for standing tickets. - Sadie
13 Jun 09
Gillian Anderson steals the show, she is STUNNING. Toby Stephens, however, is NOT. Christopher Eccleston would have been much better playing his part instead of the dodgy landlord which he seemed uncomfortable playing?. A flawed production which, I have to say, surprised me for the the Donmar which usually can do no wrong. Zinnie Harris' version hasn't done Ibsen any favours at all. It seems to have been played for cheap laughs, and not getting them either. Sure the political references engendered a few titters, but that was to be expected given what's been going on lately, but that was about it. It was only Ms Anderson, Tara Fitzgerald and the wonderful Anton Lessar which helped to raise my rating of this play up to 3 stars, that and the set, but only just! - rds
12 Jun 09
The professional reviewers who've taken against this seem locked in comparisons with Ibsen's original (well, I suppose if you call it 'a new adaptation by' you set yourself up for that), but in doing so I think they're missing a rather good play. I find its themes timeless and the dialogue in this is fresh and compelling. I doubt you could get 5 faultless leading performances this good anywhere else and Anthony Ward's set takes your breath away even before the play has started. Another fine achievement at the Donmar. - Gareth James
09 Jun 09
There must be tickets out there on E-bay - then get one! the cast are magnifcient and in the stalls it just rips out the audience's heart. Not pure Ibsen though - and that'll upset the traditionalists - David f
20 May 09
One of the best and most up to date plays running at West End now! A must see! The acting is brilliant in all departments but especially the leading roles are worth mentioning. Great adaptation and setting! To bad it's a sold out run! - Anja
20 May 09
My first London play experence. I liked the setting and costumes. The acting was first rate. I especially loved Gillian Anderson. Too bad all the tickets are sold, because I would recommend attending. - Tracy
18 May 09
A beautiful adaptation of a classic play. All the performances were great and especially from Gillian Anderson who is brilliant as Nora!!! Definately a must see! - Natalie
Re-opened in 1992. Seats 254. 1999 - Ambassador Theatre Group takes over from the Associated Capital Theatres as the landlord of the Donmar Warehouse. 2002 - Michael Grandage succeeds Sam Mendes as Artistic Director of the Donmar. Nick Frankfort succeeds Caro Newling as Executive Producer.
Whatsonstage.com - Discount London theatre tickets, theatre news and reviews, Theatre videos, Theatre discussion, National Theatre Listings. Covering London's West End, all of Theatreland and all UK theatre. The best
for London Theatre Ticket Discounts.
