Clwyd Theatr Cymru presents A Doll's House

The last (and first) time I saw Ibsen's 1879 classic A Doll's House was in Paris with Audrey Tautou staring as Nora, so Clywd Theatre Cymru had a lot to live up to. I'm pleased to say they did a wonderful job, and I have nothing but praise for their production.

Firstly, I loved the intimate, in-the-round staging. Having Nora surrounded by the audience at such close proximity really highlighted how trapped she is, by her marriage and the judging gaze of patriarchal society. Max Jones' beautiful but restrictive costumes served the same purpose, while the minimal sets meant that nothing distracted from the quality of the performances.

And what performances! As the eponymous doll, Caryl Morgan excels, dexterously taking Nora from a joyful, carefree creature to a serious, independent woman. An alumnus of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, she once again proves what quality the college turns out. I was particularly impressed with her balance between physicality, bringing madness to the stage through her desperate dancing, and total vulnerability.As her husband Torvald, Simon Dutton is at first suave and sophisticated, exuding an aura of total control that left no doubt as to why Nora seems completely smitten with him. Then as events begin to escalate, his mixture of condescension, naivety and sheer panic is truly engrossing. The supporting cast - Catrin Aaron (Nora's old friend Kristine Linde), John Cording (the couple's best friend Dr Rank), and Llion Williams (Nils Krogstad, the spark for the play's events) - are equally believable and engaging. Altogether, an exceptional ensemble.

As for the play itself, A Doll's House is a classic for a reason. Throughout his life, Ibsen was a stern critic of the patriarchal society he lived in and a defender of women's rights. There is perhaps no better vehicle for his beliefs than A Doll's House (although ironically it earned Ibsen the disdain of one particular woman, Laura Kieler, whose tragedy he stole for the plot of this play). The play delivers a powerful message about women's rights - the right to work, to education, to be treated as an equal by their husband, to have their beliefs taken into account by the law - which was totally shocking in 1879 and remains important today. Don't miss the chance to see this ground-breaking play so well produced by Clwyd Theatr Cymru.

PS: For some Ibsen-themed music, here's Broken Records with If Eilert Loevborg Wrote A Song It Would Sound Like This, based on Hedda Gabler.