Video transcript: A Doll’s House at the Almeida Theatre is a modern adaptation of Ibsen’s play.
First thing to say about that is, this is the second modern adaptation I’ve seen in a few weeks, the first one being Summerfolk at the National Theatre, and both playwrights have chosen to liberally sprinkle swear words.
Now I’m a swearer, I like a good swear, but I think in theatre, in plays, there has to be a reason for it.
Having characters randomly using the C word, I’m not sure how relevant that is. It doesn’t make it a modern adaptation.
I like the fact that the modern spin on the financial trouble that Nora is in is that she has basically moved some money around, got it done electronically, in order to help her husband out.
But there’s also an issue; she’s helping him out because he’s going into rehab for drug and alcohol [addiction], and yet she is buying alcohol and taking drugs in the house.
And you just think, if you have put yourself into that much financial strain to help your husband go through rehab, would you really be bringing drugs and alcohol into the house?
It doesn’t make sense to me.
I also wasn’t buying the relationships. I mean, in Ibsen’s time, leaving her husband would have been an absolute huge thing for Nora to do, and in the 21st Century, it’s not.
There’s no pull on her to stay in terms of the children, because you just don’t see the children.
She doesn’t really talk about them that much.
Yeah, I think you can tell I didn’t like it, it didn’t work for me. Sorry, but it didn’t.
Review: A Doll’s House, Almeida Theatre
Written by Henrik Ibsen and adapted by Anya Reiss
Directed by Joe Hill Gibbins
Cast: Romola Garai, Thalissa Teixeira, James Corrigan, Tom Mothersdale and Olivier Huband
Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes, including an interval
Booking until 23 May, for more information and tickets, visit the Almeida Website.
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