Review: A Doll's House (New Rep Theatre Company at Golden Goose theatre)

The New Rep Theatre Company has been established to bring regular, affordable and accessible classical theatre to life. The brainchild of David Knight, this young and accomplished group already has a few shows lined up, and I was delighted to be invited to the press night for their inaugural show, A Doll’s House, at Golden Goose Theatre.

Written by Henrik Ibsen in 1879, I knew of this play but did not know the story so it was interesting to come into this and see it unfold in front of me.

My first thought on seeing Nora (Olivia Baird) was how brave she was stepping into such a huge role at the last minute. Having to perform on book must add yet one more hugely significant thing to think about throughout.  By the second half I didn’t notice the book at all, her performance was outstanding with a special mention for the demonstration of her “dancing skills” to her husband, Torvald, which were hilarious.

Harry French’s Torvald I found hugely annoying from the start, which is entirely the point as he speaks to Nora as if she’s there to make the place look pretty. French’s performance created a sense of unease as Torvald made suggestive comments and affectionate gestures to Nora when it was clear she had no interest in him in that way, and in fact some repulsion at times. (Also I must mention French’s voice, I was thinking, give this man some Shakespeare and then of course read in the programme he has already played Iago.)

Krogstad (Edward Neale) had such an air of menace around him. The sense of danger he imposed on Nora built gradually to quite an intense level, and his character always found my focus when he was on stage, especially in the second half.

Kim Whatmore (Dr Rank) and Annabel Bellew (Helene) added vulnerability and likeability with their characters, easing the tension somewhat as the story progressed.

Andi Bickers as Kristine was captivating to watch whenever they were on stage, but in particular during Kristine and Krogstad’s scene at the start of the second half, absolutely first class performance.

I wanted to give each actor a mention as they were all exceptional performers, and they all worked together as an ensemble seamlessly as well, especially around the challenges created by a very last minute cast change.

The story itself was fairly timeless really, people being held back by others, unhappy relationships, illness, death, yet the way it was presented meant I did not take my eyes away from the stage.

The set was simple but effective, the costumes were perfect for the characters, and there was a very effective use of music and lighting.  I’m so glad I was able to see this production, it was exciting to see the New Rep Theatre Company in action for the first time. I honestly think this is the start of something really positive for fringe theatre and classical plays.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The New Rep’s production of A Doll’s House is showing at the Golden Goose until Saturday 1 March

• The Golden Goose is a fully air-conditioned, 85-seat theatre with a bar and good access facilities. Their website includes a helpful YouTube visual on how to get to the theatre from Oval and it’s a pleasant walk.  This was my first visit to this theatre and I would definitely make the effort to visit again.

  
  

I was gifted a ticket for this show in exchange for an honest review.