A Doll's House

Henric Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is one of the most important scripts in theatre. Not only did it introduce realism to the stage, it also brought the debate of feminism, and equality, into the public arena.

The story centres on Nora, a housewife who a few years previously had to secretly borrow money in order to save her husband’s life. To do so, she had to forge her father’s signature. This act puts into motion a series of events that threaten to destroy not only her life but that of her husband.

A trap that any modern production faces is in making a 120-year-old play that was controversial in its time feel relevant. Dundee Rep’s current production has an intriguing solution: set it in the 1950s.

This one choice has in effect created a pardox: the story is presented in a more modern setting, but it is still a time with which we have little in common now. It’s rather frightening to see that the play needs little tweaking to make the jump in time work.

However, what could have been an intriguing juxtaposition between the play and feminism in the 20th century hardly materialises, and though the design concept relishes in the time period, there is little use of it within the dramatic action.

The production is well handled. Jemima Levick is one of the most talented directors currently working in Scotland, and her production is executed with skill, especially in her use of the two-storey set. She also gets great performances from her cast, particularly from Emily Winter and Neil McKinven as Nora and Torvald Helmer in the final act.

But the production is still a bit of a letdown. There’s nothing wrong with it; in fact it’s quite good. But with such a great concept filled with potential, it’s a shame it looks modern but still has its heart and mind set firmly in the past.