Few plays have the staying power of A Doll’s House. Henrik Ibsen’s 1879 drama of marriage, control, and self-liberation is as quietly devastating today as it was over a century ago, and The New Rep Theatre’s production at The Golden Goose Theatre strips the play back to its bare bones, letting the words and performances do all the heavy lifting. It is a tense and intimate take, focused on psychological nuance rather than spectacle, and that restraint mostly works in its favour.
The Golden Goose’s confined space becomes an extension of Nora’s world, its intimacy magnifying the suffocating nature of her life. There is no grand period set to get lost in, just starkness and stillness, where the weight of expectation and control fills every inch. The lack of excess keeps the focus sharp, making the story feel immediate rather than historical. When Nora finally questions everything, there is nowhere for her, or the audience, to hide.
Olivia Baird’s Nora is magnetic, shifting from playful charm to something far more unsettling as the cracks begin to show. She begins the play flitting across the stage, eager to please, yet there is an underlying tension, a sense that she is holding her world together with fragile thread. The moment the illusion shatters – when she realises how little power she truly holds – is devastating. She does not rage or collapse but turns inward, growing still, until the only thing left to do is walk out.
A production that strips away the frills and leaves only the raw nerves behind
Harry French’s Torvald is every inch the man who believes in his own authority until it slips through his fingers. There is an easy confidence to his performance, a warmth that makes his patronising tone all the more infuriating. He does not see himself as cruel, only correct, and that is what makes him so convincing. Edward Neale’s Krogstad brings layers to a character often played as a stock villain. His desperation is palpable, his interactions with Baird crackling with unease. Kim Whatmore’s Dr Rank provides a quiet counterpoint, his presence a reminder of the loneliness that lingers beneath the surface, while Annabel Bellew’s Helene reinforces the household’s rigid structure, another figure going through the motions in a world built on routine.
There are moments where the production’s restraint holds back its full potential. The tension builds beautifully, but the final confrontation could have benefitted from a sharper shift, a moment where the dam truly breaks. The minimalism works, but at times, it feels like the play is holding its breath when it should be exhaling.
Final Thoughts ★★★★
Would I recommend A Doll’s House? Without hesitation. This is a stripped-back but powerful retelling that puts the focus where it belongs – on the crushing weight of expectation and the courage it takes to step into the unknown. As Nora stands in the doorway for just a moment longer than expected, the silence says everything. Some endings are really just beginnings.
Playing at Golden Goose Theatre until 1 March 2025.
Disclaimer: A complimentary ticket was provided in return for an honest and unbiased review.
