If there’s one thing to be said for Northern Stage, they know the value of good advertising, enticing potential viewers to see their production of “A Doll’s House” by branding the Ibsen classic “an emotional rollercoaster.”
And well they might, considering that at the time of its publication in 1879, the story of a wife deciding whether to leave her husband and children was pretty groundbreaking stuff. It is only once inside the Playhouse, however, that we discover the alleged rollercoaster has suffered some kind of rust infestation causing it to grind to a near-halt, leaving you suspended in mid-air with no immediate means of exit.
This was not entirely the fault of the production. With a half-empty auditorium, there was a definite lack of enthusiasm emanating from the audience which could not have helped to fire up the actors. While the ensuing sense of apathy might well have nourished Ibsen’s penchant for the truly miserable, when combined with the platter of depressing situations with which he presents us, it allowed the tone to sink to new depths.
Tilly Gaunt nevertheless gave an energetic performance as Nora Helmer, the “doll-wife” of the tale. Through her fluttering mannerisms, voice pitching, and graceful movements, Gaunt successfully brought out the humour of the part and Nora’s child-like quality.
This trait, however, was overblown, and at times undermined the character’s strength: her confession to saving her husband’s life, for example, is delivered in a petulant sulk, and as a result the courage revealed in the process was lost upon the audience.
John Kirk as her husband, Torwald Helmer and Chris Myles as Krogstad also managed to inject some life into their performances, in the process redefining the concept of “the grumpy old man.” Myles took the more sinister route, spitting his threats at Nora with lashings of venom and just a hint of Bill Sykes.
Kirk, on the other hand, carried out his patriarchal role with a great deal of angry barking. Although the two were convincing, their temper tantrums could have done with some alleviation, especially in the case of Kirk, who leaves one wondering why Nora ever stuck around so long in the first place.
The most impressive aspect of the production was the direction. Erica Whyman had clearly taken pains to imprint her own, individual stamp on the play, and made the innovative decision to set the play in the 1950s. This aligns the role of women in this decade with that of Ibsen’s time, and helps to bring out the appearance of domestic tranquility, at least on the surface.
Interesting also was the choice to set the stage within the confines of a glass house which effectively conveyed both Nora’s sense of enclosure, and her ability to see beyond the forces which restrict her.
Despite these novel directorial decisions, the production as a whole does not merit the description of the programme. However, for all those whose curiosity might have been pricked by such sensational marketing, it was worth surrendering a Thursday evening.
