'It’s all very well to walk out the door slamming it behind you, as Ibsen’s Nora Helmer did in 1879; declaring yourself at long last liberated from A Doll’s House. But what happens after that triumphant moment? How much exactly does it cost a woman to leave her child, family and husband to choose her self?
'Kit Brookman and Anne-Louise Sarks revisioning of Nora’s iconic story overlaps with Ibsen’s revolutionary play but takes an audience beyond the moment of leaving and follows Nora through into the complications that doubtless, surely, follow her choice.
'In 2014 Nora’s dilemma is still going: just how much will a woman put up with and why? And what are her alternatives to putting up with a situation that makes her diminutive?
'Anne-Louise Sarks makes classics reverberate and resound in a new way. Her 2012 production of Medea in our Downstairs Theatre stunned students and teachers alike. This contemporary production will provide a strong framework for students to hone their critical skills by contemplating texts comparatively across time. She brings her unique vision to this deeply felt play about how to work out your own freedom and become comfortable with your own power.' (Production summary)
A Doll's House
2014
South Brisbane
:
Playlab
,
2015
8293188
2014
single work
drama
'Nora seems to have it all - a successful husband, adorable children and a beautiful home. But this picture perfect life is actually a complicated trap of secrets and lies. Here is a story of domestic revolution, marriage and motherhood, female empowerment and the journey towards self-liberation.
'Henrik Ibsen’s great psychological thriller was recently named as the world’s most performed play. And why wouldn’t it be? It’s brilliantly plotted, boasts striking characters, and tells a story that’s still as charged and moving as it was 135 years ago.
'In a superb new version by Lally Katz, one of Australia’s most gifted playwrights, and directed by Steven Mitchell Wright, one of our most intrepid directors, this enduring masterpiece will be a highlight of La Boite’s season and the 2014 Brisbane Festival.' (Production summary)
'To the world, Nora Helmer has it all. A well-respected husband, an immaculate home and three darling children. But underneath the façade of a confident modern woman juggling her life lies a secret. Or two. When an old ghost comes knocking on the Helmers’ door, their seemingly solid marriage is shaken to the core.'
Source: Ensemble Theatre.
Premiered in Copenhagen on 21 December 1879, having been published in a limited-run earlier that month.
Wife
London
:
Faber
,
2019
19665560
2019
single work
drama
'- And your husband forgave you. But what did you do? Decided that forgiveness was offensive and walked out on your marriage. With nothing. Into nothing.
'- Into everything, I think.
'It's 1959. Robert leaves Ibsen's A Doll's House outraged by its attack on the sanctity of marriage; his wife Daisy dashes round to the stage door, in love with both Nora and the actress who plays her, thrilled by their promise of escape.
'Daisy is at the crossroads. Her moral compass tells her to go one way, society the other. What she chooses to do next will have consequences not just for her and Robert, but for four couples who come after them over ninety years.
'The truth is we have to give up parts of ourselves if we want to be with someone. And what if, before you know this, you run away from the wrong person?
'Samuel Adamson's Wife premiered at Kiln Theatre, London, in May 2019.'
(Source: publisher's blurb)
Wife
London
:
Faber
,
2019
19665560
2019
single work
drama
'- And your husband forgave you. But what did you do? Decided that forgiveness was offensive and walked out on your marriage. With nothing. Into nothing.
'- Into everything, I think.
'It's 1959. Robert leaves Ibsen's A Doll's House outraged by its attack on the sanctity of marriage; his wife Daisy dashes round to the stage door, in love with both Nora and the actress who plays her, thrilled by their promise of escape.
'Daisy is at the crossroads. Her moral compass tells her to go one way, society the other. What she chooses to do next will have consequences not just for her and Robert, but for four couples who come after them over ninety years.
'The truth is we have to give up parts of ourselves if we want to be with someone. And what if, before you know this, you run away from the wrong person?
'Samuel Adamson's Wife premiered at Kiln Theatre, London, in May 2019.'
(Source: publisher's blurb)
