Review: A Doll’s House (Almeida Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️

There have been some outstanding new takes on Ibsen classics of late, and the always reliable Almeida Theatre are hoping for its own piece of the action with a brand new version of A Doll’s House. Given their own impressive track record and featuring the hotly anticipated return of Olivier Award-winner Romola Garai to the Almeida stage, hopes were understandably high for this adaptation, but would this version of A Doll’s House be able to break out of its box?

Originally premiering in 1879, A Doll’s House has been continually revived and adapted in the centuries since, with its most recent outing being a production directed by Jamie Lloyd on Broadway. It has even been subject to sequels from other writers, with A Doll’s House, Part 2 playing at Donmar Warehouse four years ago. The bones of the story are familiar to many theatre lovers, no matter how many (if any) different takes on it they have seen. This latest version sees married couple Nora and Torvald settling into their new home days before Christmas. After struggling in the past, they have recently come into some money through a business deal, and Nora has gone on a bit of a spree in excitement. However, it proves to be only the tip of the iceberg, and when a scandal threatens to wreck everything, the original terms of their marriage vows prove in need of a new negotiation.

This new version of Ibsen’s classic has been penned by Anya Reiss, transporting the action to the modern day. I don’t think references to Instagram, WhatsApp and Uber would have been in Ibsen’s original, though, had he written it today, they may well have been. It all works very well for the most part, with new and innovative ways to translate the story for the modern age. The same characters from A Doll’s House are all present, all similar to their original counterparts - Kristine Linde is down on her luck and needing a helping hand, Nils Krogstad proves the catalyst in the scandal, and Petter Rank is terminally ill and in love with Nora.

The problem is, it all proves a bit too uneven. There are moments of brilliance to be found, and others that feel underdeveloped and purely there for the sake of it rather than serving any real purpose. The nature of the love triangle between Nora, Petter and Torvald proves confusing, and isn’t fleshed out enough to warrant its somewhat jarring inclusion, while Act Two lacks the cohesiveness of the long but solid first Act, suffering from its own changing voice, and never quite knowing how it wants to tell the story, and how to end it.

It is a shame it falters towards the end, as this was an admirable take on reinventing a classic, and Reiss showcases moments of genius in her adaptation. I got the sense it could have benefited from a bit more development before exploding onto the stage, as the bar was set high in the early moments, and then never quite reached again. It is a testament to Reiss that the 90-minute first Act flew by, captivating and thrilling throughout - though this then showed up the relatively speedy 40-minute second Act as feeling rather incomplete. Nora Helmer has become more than a character since Ibsen wrote A Doll’s House, becoming a symbol of awakening and resistance. Though the payoff is ultimately there, her identity feels more confused than you would expect at times, and she never quite realises she is being used by the men in her life as fully as you would hope, with a disappointingly ambiguous and, dare I say, slightly underwhelming ending that is sure to divide opinion.

Joe Hill-Gibbins ’ direction suffers the same fate, feeling bold and exciting at times, and frustrating at others. An interesting set design by Hyemi Shin featuring cluttered shopping bags on a minimalistic and very white stage leads to some interesting moments, but is undone by an overlong “cleaning up” scene transition, killing the momentum entirely. The choice of a fairly novelty musical number to end the first Act works at odds with the play, reducing the weight of the themes that are so crucial to this story. Where some shows work with a dance number closing the Act (or show) altogether, this is one case where I felt it really didn’t, feeling unnecessary and leaving me heading into the interval wondering what I had just seen and why it hadn’t matched the brilliance of some of the moments prior to it.

It was the promise of seeing Romola Garai on stage again that drew me most to this production. An incredible actress whose talents led to two separate Olivier Award nominations in the same category last year. Garai is a force of nature and can tackle any role with the strength and quality you would expect from her, and this is no exception. Garai even manages to distract from some of the weaker moments in the writing through her compelling characterisation. Whenever Garai is on stage, it is impossible to take your eyes off of her, such is the nature of her full embodiment of whomever she is playing, and her Nora Helmer is another star performance.

Tom Mothersdale is similarly as strong as Nora’s husband, Torvald. It is quite an exaggerated performance, but one that fits the larger-than-life nature of the character. It is interesting how this production almost flips the tables to allow sympathy for him, with a more heightened final act giving Mothersdale plenty to play with in terms of emotional range and capabilities. Thalissa Teixeira has some fine moments as Kristine Linde, though she is sidelined for much of the play, with fleeting but memorable appearances from James Corrogan as Nils Krogstad changing the tone completely and bringing a sense of danger. Another highlight is Olivier Huband as Petter Rank, whose charisma lights up the stage, bringing a fascinating dynamic with Garai’s Nora.

This production of A Doll’s House boasts a sensational cast, and the writing certainly has its moments, but not every choice works. It feels like the story has been dissected and put back together in a way that is admirable yet uneven. The result is a series of pieces that don’t quite fit together as seamlessly as you would hope. Ibsen’s story is still thrilling all these years later, and Anya Reiss’ take on it is never boring, but it could be better than it currently is. At its best, it is utterly compelling, while other moments fail to match the standard in a show that could benefit from further development to reach its full potential. In the play, Nora struggles with her own identity, and this production of A Doll’s House shares that struggle - once it knows exactly how to tell the story, the sky’s the limit.

A Doll’s House plays at Almeida Theatre until 23rd May. Tickets from https://almeida.co.uk/whats-on/a-dolls-house-play/

Photos by Marc Brenner