Sport For Jove's A Doll's House

This is a splendid production SPORT FOR JOVE A DOLL’S HOUSE REGINALD THEATRE SEYMOUR CENTRE JULY 2014 This is a stunning extremely relevant production that speaks to today . It is set right on Christmas in 1878 and performed in period costume . Cook’s deft direction of the text utilises a fresh , newly vernacular translation and it works brilliantly . Costume and set designer Hugh O’Connor has has been inspired to chose and place items of period furniture (armchairs, chaise longue, piano, hatstand, coal stove) on the small stage , to create the illusion of a Norwegian upper-middle class home of the era , which are backed by an opaque blue-lit wall ( glorious , delicate and atmospheric lighting by Gavan Swift). Why is it that a woman asserting her opinions or ideas is still regarded as counting for less than a man’s opinion? And a single woman of middle-age is regarded as ‘ tragic’ and that women are still generally defined by titles such as ‘ mother’ or ‘wife’ before we accept them as people in their own right? Nora (Matilda Ridgway) is the seemingly perfect doll-like wife of Torvald Helmer (Douglas Hansell), a lawyer about to become a top merchant banker. Social success is theirs with three perfect children and the sturdy, loyal Helen (Annie Byron) to help cushion domestic hassles .Material success is about to fall into their lap. What could go wrong? Nora at the beginning of the play is regarded as a spendthrift, patronised and indulged by Torvald. The coming of Krogstad reveals to the audience that it was she who saved her husband and family when, unable to cope with the pressures of work, his mental collapse threatened them all. It is revealed that Nora borrowed money from Krogstad to fund a health-restoring year away and has been paying it back since through scrimping and saving in her housekeeping money. That she forged her father’s signature on the contract is something that drastically comes back to haunt her. She, in kindness, persuades Torvald to give Kristine a job at the bank without realising that this will result in Krogstad being sacked to make way for her. Beautiful, dewy Ridgway is brilliant in capturing the contrast and depth of Nora so that the transition seems perfectly natural .At first all seems a Dickensian fairytale happy family – but is it? When she madly, almost hysterically, performs the Tarantella under husband Torvald ’s direction we see the marriage shattering and her life unravelling through the imagery of the wild dance. We can touch the grief, long before the play’s conclusion and Nora’s shocking ( to some ) epiphany. Douglas Hansell is terrific as Torvald, lively and intriguing yet a man hopelessly trapped in his times and social position. He seeks to won and control Nora regarding her as another possession. He is blind to Nora’s predicament and when she turns on him in the final confrontation scene his world comes crashing down. The final long scene was played with great intensity . For once we see the children, who are absolutely adorable and enchantingly played by Bill and Thom Blake. Slimy Nils Krogstad – as portrayed by Gooley - was also terrific in Cook’s production. His nervous tension, energy, and fear combined with Uriah Heep unctuous energy made him charismatic and to a degree sympathetic especially with his unexpected salvation towards the end. He delicately treads the fine line between menace and victim of life and circumstance Daper , elegant Barry French brings sweet sadness and credibility to the role of Dr Rank , Torvald’s old friend who is secretly in love with Nora .Kristine,Nora’s old friend , who arrives on Christmas Eve with just a small bag and thin coat , is now a downtrodden penniless widow , drooping and stoic and terrifically played by tall , dark Francesca Savige. It is Nora and other women’s lack of freedom to move – economically, emotionally, physically- that still reverberates today . As Everywoman Nora insists “I think I am a human being before anything else. I don’t care what other people say. I don’t care what people write in books. I need to think for myself.” Running time 2 hours 50 mins (approx) This tremendous production by Sport for Jove of Ibsen’s ‘ A Doll’s House’ runs at the Reginald Theatre Seymour Centre 19 July – 2 August 2014 .