Young Vic (studio)
11 February 2020 (released)
21 February 2020
Stef Smith's,' Nora: A Dolls House' portrays the struggles of young women living in the western world, and highlights the ways in which these struggles have hardly changed over the last 100 years. Detailing the lives of three Noras over three different time periods, each character offers a gripping snapshot into the strains that comes with acting as ‘the perfect wife’, whilst battling with your own personal needs and desires.
Molly Vevers plays Nora in 1918, Maryam Hamidi is Nora in 1968, and Anna Russell-Martin is Nora in 2018. The set is minimalist and the production and movement beautifully timed. The three stories cleverly interweave and overlap, and the parallels between the three women are magnified by the mirroring gestures and speech at key points during the play. Vevers is particularly compelling in her role as a despairing housewife, capturing the external confidence of a woman who wants her voice heard, but who, afraid of judgement is quietly unravelling.
Whilst each character is distinct enough to add individual layers of the story, the comments and links to the current political and social environment are, at times, somewhat clichéd. Nevertheless, the personal journeys of each woman are compelling and emotive, and the ever-moving characters keeps the audience on its toes.
