Review: Theatre Calgary’s A DOLL’S HOUSE breaks from convention to redefine the marital relationship

Although Henrik Isben’s original ‘A Doll’s House’ play is nearly 150 years old, the story is timeless and strikes a chord with audiences to this day. The version performed on stage is the 2023 revamped edition by Amy Herzog which aims to remove some of the outdated 19th century dialogue for a more modern take on the story. The themes certainly play off common relationship pitfalls and the audience is sure to take something away from the performance.

Our story opens to an upscale home on Christmas Eve, the idyllic setting for the picture-perfect family. Although the question of financial hardship is introduced early on, it doesn't seem to strain the relationship between the sweet and excitable Nora, and her mature yet doting husband Torvald. Soon we are interrupted by the arrival of an unexpected guest, Nora’s old friend Kristine. This long-lost reunion allows us to learn several important facts about our seemingly innocent protagonist: 

1) although she has suffered some loss, her family has lived a rather comfortable life and her husband has recently been promoted, which will lead to further success and abundance

2) appearances are very important to her and she is a proud mother and wife

3) she is not as innocent and flighty as she initially appears

It is through her surprising confession that we learn that she is keeping a rather large secret from her husband, one that could compromise their relationship. For a modern audience, it can seem hard to believe that an act of love and ultimately a significant sacrifice to her own mental health could be seen as anything but devotion and care. It’s not until the introduction of what may initially be seen as the story’s protagonist, Krogstad, that we discover her actions may also have negative legal implications. 

I won’t get into the whole complicated order of events or story highlights since that’s why we go to the theatre, is it not? What I will say is that the sweet, childlike innocence of Nora leads the audience to believe that her struggle is being blown out of proportion and that we would of course expect her husband to stand by her and love her no matter the circumstances. Perhaps more shocking than the eventual fallout of the intertwining storylines is the eventual realisation that Nora (like many women) has been treated as a beautiful plaything and not a living, breathing, intellectual soul, capable of independent thought and worthy of both love and respect. 

These revelations unearth truths about the role of women in society, the expectations of mothers in the overall family dynamic, the portrayal of the husband as both the caretaker and patriarch in the home, and even the influence of nature versus nurture in our behavioural tendencies. There is a lot that can be unpacked in the second half of the show that was only subtly hinted at throughout the first half. It certainly left the audience ruminating about who the show’s malefactor(s) may be and to what extent we ourselves are willing to endure a lie before our life is irrevocably changed. There is a healthy mix of symbolism from the caged songbird that is Nora, to the doll-like possession that Torvald clings to, all leading to a desperate bid for freedom.