Nora: A Doll's House

Nantwich Players made a welcome return to the stage with their production of ‘Nora: A Doll’s House’, a modern retelling of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play and directed here by Bethany Gail. The entire set was painted an off-white colour, with shadows of trees painted on the walls. The stage floor was painted the same, as was the limited furniture used in the production. Dominating the set were three freestanding doorways, which were used to great effect throughout. Each door represented the house of each Nora, which was established from the beginning of the production. There were three chairs set on the outskirts of the playing space, with them being brought into the space at different moments. The set was simple, but highly effective for this production. The non-linear narrative of the play could have caused confusion with the audience trying to follow the plot, but this was not the case here thanks to Bethany’s clear direction. The storytelling was clear from the outset, and the cast jumped from each time period seamlessly. The movements were strong and had a clear purpose – no move felt out of place or forced. There were a number of powerful stage pictures create on stage, especially with the three Noras. The pace of the production was very good throughout. The costumes were very good throughout. The three Noras were dressed accordingly to their time period, with the men in suits. The colour purple appeared in each costume, which was a clever and neat touch linking with the lavender that was important with the Noras.

Technical elements were strong throughout this production. There were uplighters, which drenched the set in different colours at certain moments of the play. From the recurring purple during the lavender moments to the oranges and reds used; the lighting added depth and colour. The sound was good throughout as well, and set at a great level. The effects used were good, from the gurgling river to the child crying.

Carla Gonen played Nora 1 and Christine 3. Carla gave a good performance as our present day Nora. There was a strength to Carla’s Nora, which she displayed well. Carla played the emotion well, and the audience really felt for her Nora at the end of the production. Carla worked well with Lillie and Sarah creating a cohesive group with them when they came together.

Lillie Pragnell played Nora 2 and Christine 1. Lillie did well in her performance and it was interesting to see the difference between the 1960s Nora compared to the other versions. Lillie really captured the progression of women’s rights through her performance, from her sixties mini-dress costume to the conversation regarding sexuality, and her final decision to leave Thomas to start a relationship with Christine.

Sarah Shillito played Nora 3 and Christine 2. Sarah was a strong member of the cast and had a magnetic stage presence. She was totally engaged with the action on stage, even when just observing. There was a good contrast between her version of Nora and Christine, from her clipped accent as Nora to her Christine who was infatuated with the 1960s Nora.

James Freeman played Thomas, Nora’s husband in each of the different eras. James worked well with the different Noras, creating believable relationships with all three. James created a controlling character, drawing audible reactions from the audience, especially in his final confrontation with Nora.

Ben Callas played Nathan. Ben’s performance was good as this complex character. He was cold and calculating as he started to blackmail Nora, but we saw a change in his character in his conversation with Christine. This was nicely played by Ben.

Edward Rolfe played Daniel, a friend to the family through the ages. Edward delivered a convincing performance, full of emotion with a touch of humour. You really believed the friendship between Daniel and Nora, and that he would risk it when he declared his love for her.

Overall, this was a very good production. The storytelling was clear throughout, the direction was strong, and there were some great performances, especially from the trio of Noras.

A big thank you to everyone at Nantwich Players for their kind invite and hospitality.

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