A Doll's House

“Look into any man's heart you please, and you will always find, in every one, at least one black spot which he has to keep concealed.” HI

A highly controversial work when first performed in 1879, the story centres around Nora Helmer, a vivacious young woman who is treated like a doll by her uncompromising husband Torvald. But Nora has kept a great secret for eight years and is forced to uncover hidden depths when a stranger calls who threatens to reveal this secret and awaken her to the realities of life and the ruthlessness of society. As powerful, moving and thought provoking today as at its first performance, A Doll's House is certain to captivate whoever sees it.

Tour of Stately Homes in Kent & Essex - September 2007

Directed by James Baker Produced by Connie Stephens

The Cast

Nora Helmer ... ... Joanna O’Connor Torvald Helmer ... .. James Kingdon Christine Linde ... ... ... Amy Steel Nils Krogstad ... ... ... .. Darren Hill Dr Rank ... ... ... Andrew McDonald

Henrik Johan Ibsen

Ibsen (March 20, 1828 – May 23, 1906) was a major Norwegian playwright largely responsible for the rise of modern realistic drama. He is often referred to as the "father of modern drama." Ibsen is held to be the greatest of Norwegian authors and one of the most important playwrights of all time, celebrated as a national symbol by Norwegians. His plays were considered scandalous to many of his era, when Victorian values of family life and propriety largely held sway in Europe and any challenge to them was considered immoral and outrageous. Ibsen's work examined the realities that lay behind many facades, possessing a revelatory nature that was disquieting to many contemporaries. Ibsen largely founded the modern stage by introducing a critical eye and free inquiry into the conditions of life and issues of morality. Victorian-era plays were expected to be moral dramas with noble protagonists pitted against darker forces; every drama was expected to result in a morally appropriate conclusion, meaning that goodness was to bring happiness, and immorality pain. Ibsen challenged this notion and the beliefs of his times and shattered the illusions of his audiences.