A Doll's House

“I was absolutely flabbergasted at the ability of the young actors in this show. Full acting honours must, of course, go to Joanna O’Connor who surely played the female equivalent of a part such as Hamlet. Such lovely, lovely work. Nora was flighty, naïve, grounded, demure, vivacious, loveable, charismatic – everything she should have been and more without so much as a chink in the performance. She was brilliantly supported by James Kingdon as the regressive and pompous Torvald and Amy Steel and Darren Hill brought more to the parts of Christine Linde and Nils Krogstad than I've ever seen in previous productions. Ibsen must have been smiling down.” Stephen Francis, Freelance Writer

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 in 1879, A Doll's House is certain to captivate whoever sees it.

Tour of Stately Homes in Kent & Essex - September 2007

Directed by James Kingdon Produced by Joanna O'Connor

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.