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A Doll's House, Oxford Playhouse
2:38pm Wednesday 7th May 2008
One of the more downbeat entries in the theatrical canon, A Doll's House is nevertheless a perfect slice of Scandinavian miserablism. It focuses on a young housewife, Nora Helmer (Tilly Gaunt), who seems to be having her cake and eating it for all to see. Indeed, she has a doting husband, three wonderful children and a large house. However it soon emerges that the cheerfulness she aggressively parades around her guests is a façade, and she is desperately unhappy and growing ever more mentally imbalanced. Her personal scales of sanity threaten to tip right over when a secret she has been hiding from her husband for several years comes back to haunt her.
This translation, by Frank McGuiness, is far more accessible than I initially expected. Although occasionally the dialogue seems a little stilted (it feels as if McGuiness has stuck rigidly to some of the cadences of the original text, if not the precise language), it is a very absorbing piece, and full of pith and vinegar.
The production is also lively and striking. The central gimmick is the mock house set up on the stage, which sees a partially visible corridor and study set behind the main set of a living room. It is not without its problems; at points the lighting reflects somewhat distractingly from the Perspex walls, leaving some unsightly glare. Also, some of the exchanges taking place behind the partitions are muffled and somewhat inaudible (I was sitting towards the front of the stalls, so I dread to think what this would have been like for some others further back).
However, neither of these spoils the performance, proving only intermittently distracting. The acting in the production is particularly strong, especially Tilly Gaunt as the central character. Her performance is equal parts strength and vulnerability, perfect for her role. She occupies the stage for nearly the whole of the two-and-a-half hours, and delivers most of the dialogue.
The play is essentially about reputation, secrets and love. They are big themes, which Ibsen treats with the respect and subtlety that they deserve. It's ultimately a pessimistic piece where the truth does not really set people free, and lies do not preserve dignity. However, the intricacy of the characterisation and the spinning of the moral compass somewhat sweetens the pill.
A Doll's House is essential drama. While this is not a definitive production, it more than shows off the complexities and subtleties of Ibsen's original vision. It continues at the Playhouse until tomorrow night.
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