Romola Garai Leads Modern 'A Doll's House' at Almeida
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- Romola Garai plays Nora, a clever, resourceful wife who secretly bails out the household finances and funds her husband Torvald’s addiction recovery.
- Anya Reiss adapted Ibsen’s "A Doll’s House" for 21st‑century Britain, inserting modern references such as Instagram and a stock market shaken by Middle‑East conflict.
- Joe Hill‑Gibbins directed the Almeida production, which features Hyemi Shin’s set of white goods and shopping bags symbolising Nora’s pre‑Christmas consumer spree.
- Tom Mothersdale portrays Torvald, a high‑earning London banker who is also a recovering drug addict.
- James Corrigan appears as Nils Krogstad, Torvald’s colleague who blackmails Nora.
- Thalissa Teixeira plays Kristine, Nora’s old friend who married for money and now faces poverty.
- Almeida theatre in London hosts the run, scheduled to close on 23 May.
Why it matters: Audiences gain a fresh, socially‑savvy lens on Ibsen’s classic, as the Almeida’s staging ties Nora’s plight to modern consumerism and addiction, while the heavy focus on material critique may sideline the play’s original feminist empowerment, reshaping how contemporary viewers interpret gender autonomy.
