A Doll’s House
Carrie Cracknell directs this whirling drama, a new version of Ibsen’s 1878 classic written by Simon Stephens, which sees one woman’s reality fall to pieces – and, under the dexterous handling of this talented pair, as well as a first-rate cast, this modern, intense and utterly gripping production is one of the best we’ve seen all year.
Hattie Morahan plays Nora Helmer, the doll of the house herself, a capricious, flighty young woman, who, maintaining a constant affectation of shamelessly flirtatious faux naif, masks her troubles well.
Synopsis
First performed in Copenhagen in 1879. Christmas Eve. Excitement and love filled the Helmer's apartment. Nora is her husband's cherished 'songbird' and the romance of their marriage has been played out over the years. But beneath the carefree surface of their lives, the secret of how Nora saved her husband's life begins to emerge. Tension increases as the characters react against one another and this taut and gripping drama ends as Nora demands her right to individual freedom. One of the great landmark plays of the nineteenth century.
A Doll’s House runs until 4 August at the Young Vic, 66 The Cut, London SE1 8LZ.