A Doll's House Review: Sex, Drugs, and Romola Garai in a Heroic Ibsen Update
At the Almeida Theatre in London, Anya Reiss's modern adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's classic play A Doll's House tackles the timeless themes of marriage, gender, and self-realisation through a 21st-century perspective. This production, directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins, reimagines Nora as the wife of a high-earning London banker, Torvald, played by Tom Mothersdale, who is also a recovering drug addict.
Contemporary Setting and Themes
Reiss transposes the 19th-century proto-feminist drama into present-day Britain, replacing the original's bank manager with a modern financier and the "little squirrel" housewife with a more complex character. Nora, portrayed by Romola Garai, is depicted as a clever and resourceful woman, secretly bailing out her household from financial ruin and funding Torvald's addiction recovery. The set, designed by Hyemi Shin, features white goods and shopping bags, symbolising Nora's pre-Christmas splurge and the couple's upwardly mobile lifestyle built on lies and blind spots.
The plot retains key elements from Ibsen's original, including blackmail from Torvald's colleague Nils Krogstad (James Corrigan) and the visit of Nora's old friend Kristine (Thalissa Teixeira), who marries for money and initially judges Nora as a spoilt wife. The update incorporates contemporary references such as Instagram, stock market volatility due to Middle East conflicts, and a focus on sexual dynamics within the context of class and capitalism.
Performance and Character Dynamics
The accomplished cast delivers excellent performances, though at times the effort is visible, highlighting the theme of marital roles as performances. Garai's Nora relates to her husband and a dying friend, Petter (Olivier Huband), through sexual frisson and flirtation, donning a sexy nurse's outfit and dancing suggestively. This portrayal suggests her body as currency, yet Garai imbues Nora with an intelligence that questions this strategy.
Nora's role as a mother is also presented as a performance, an interesting but brief admission that lacks further exploration, as the children are only heard via baby monitors or phone calls. The drama intensifies in the closing confrontation, where Nora questions whether love should be subject to market forces, summarising Reiss's preoccupations with materialism and conditional relationships.
Innovation and Modern Relevance
Reiss's adaptation is inspired in its intersectional ambition, examining feminism through the lens of contemporary capitalism. However, it sometimes feels weighed down by these themes, creating a tension between critiquing the money-obsessed banker class and eliciting sympathy for Nora. The production suggests that female autonomy in our age requires a more complicated vision than Ibsen's original shutting door, even hinting at a future where couples therapy might resolve conflicts.
Overall, this modern take on A Doll's House offers innovation and relevance, running at the Almeida Theatre until 23 May, and invites audiences to reconsider classic feminist narratives in today's socio-economic landscape.
