On Tuesday evening, LVI A level English students got the incredible opportunity to watch a production of ‘A Doll’s House’ at the Almeida Theatre. We had been studying the play by Henrik Ibsen in depth and were delighted to be able to go see it live. The production was a modern interpretation and so initially felt alarmingly different to the one we studied in class. The stage was bare, cold and open, giving us a visual interpretation which emphasised the disintegration of the family unit shown through the increasingly messy stage and erratic movements of the actors as the play progressed. This modern depiction sparked fierce debate among both students and teachers alike, as we all had conflicting views on the effectiveness of this unexpected staging as it felt at odds with the typical, more truthful depictions of this iconic 19th century play.
Despite our personal views, all of us were engrossed within the story which was brought to life by such incredible acting. Ramola Garai, the actress for Nora, gave us a performance worthy of a 19th century melodrama, showing expertly the borderline overdramatic grief, suffering, and anxiety that we had come to associate Nora with. One of the most interesting aspects of the production was the portrayal of Torvald and his relationship with the storyline. Many of us began to emphasise with his experiences in a way that we did not when studying the text in class. Torvald’s actor, Tom Mothersdale, portrayed the character as much of a victim as Nora was, empathetically depicting his more modern struggle with addiction and the societal stigmatism around it. Overall, we were all delighted to see the play and felt that it allowed us to expand and explore our understanding of ‘A Doll’s House’.
Jemima G, Lower Sixth
