A Doll’s House

Bury Theatre Workshop, a Community Theatre Company, are performing 'A Doll’s House' by Henrik Ibsen and edited by Pelham Elliott from a translation by R Farquharson-Sharp.

The slamming of the front door at the end of A Doll's House has often been used to sum up the play itself – one writer noting "That slammed door reverberated across the roof of the world".

When we first meet her, Nora seems happy in her married life, but the infantilising of her by her husband, in his pet names for her, his attempts to control her actions, even down to her enjoyment of sweet treats, and his lecturing of her makes it clear how uneven this relationship is. She is his “doll” and her home-making is merely playing with a doll’s house.

Eventually she can deceive herself no longer, and acknowledges the need for personal freedom though we question whether Torvald will ever fully understand how uneven the relationship is between them.

It shocked its audiences when first performed in 1879; it still has a powerful message today – about the danger of relationships where power is all on one side, and where others may struggle for an independent voice.

Times: 7.30pm evening performances and a 2.30pm matinee on the Saturday only
Tickets: £12.50, U25s £10
Booking: Tickets available from 3 January 2022 via the Bury Theatre Workshop website or by calling 01359 259361
Venue: Unitarian Meeting House, Churchgate Street, Bury St Edmunds

This event is promoted by Bury Theatre Workshop.