SCENE IT: Entertaining, elegant and instructive A DOLL’S HOUSE PART 2

Beverley Brommert

---

Soufflé-light treatment of the substantial issues raised in Ibsen's original play makes its sequel, A DOLL’S HOUSE PART 2, theatre that is entertaining, elegant, and instructive.

Photo by Fiona MacPherson.

That is not to say Lucas Hnath's A DOLL'S HOUSE PART 2 is frivolous when measured against the masterpiece whence it stems; it rather finds a happy balance between earnest sermonising on human dignity, and a gently ironic, compassionate look at matrimonial warfare between the sexes.

Coming well over a century after its predecessor, the current work proves that its theme is as relevant in the 21st  century as it was in the Norway of 1879 - in other words, timeless and universal.

The characters are familiar: central to the plot are Nora, the frustrated wife in quest of her identity, and Torvald, her bemused spouse blinkered by conventional values.

The quartet of personae is completed by Anne Marie, paid mainstay of the household after Nora's abdication 15 years previously, and Emmy, the motherless daughter who has attained womanhood and is now on the brink of marriage herself.

Photo by Fiona MacPherson.

Each character brings his or her perspective to the crisis precipitated by Nora's unexpected reappearance in the bosom of her family...

Here we have a situation ripe for the exchange of conflicting views on a variety of subjects, from women's rights to the value of commitment, ethical versus opportunistic conduct, and above all, the importance of choice and personal freedom in pursuit of one's goals and self-esteem.

This is the theatre of ideas, and they are robustly debated.

Bianca Amato shines as Nora, conveying diverse moods with the ease of a chameleon constantly changing habitat. Defiant, cajoling, assertive, apologetic - this ongoing shift calls for skilful direction from Barbara Rubin, and talented acting from Amato. Both prove equal to the challenge.

In the role of Torvald, Zane Meas is a magisterial foil for his leading lady as his mobile face convincingly reflects a broad range of reactions to one disconcerting development after another.

Best of all is the couple's spirited interaction throughout the play as ideas are bounced back and forth in evenly matched self-justification.

Photo by Fiona MacPherson.

Charlotte Butler is earthy and endearing as the long-suffering Anne Marie, countering the brittle poise of Simone Neethling in a chain of casting with no weak links.

Greg King's understated, meticulously devised set subtly emphasizes the action, as rigid order unravels (like severely correct costumes and coiffures) to mirror an emotional turmoil expressed with increasing energy.

As the drama plays itself out towards a dénouement, the stimulated audience has a sense of intellectual muscles nicely flexed after strenuous but rewarding exercise. 

Highly recommended for lovers of thought-provoking theatre.

A DOLL'S HOUSE PART 2

Director: Barbara Rubin

Cast: Bianca Amato, Zane Meas, Charlotte Butler, Simone Neethling

Venue: Baxter Studio, until 10 May 2025

Bookings: Webtickets