Torvald’s little birdie stays in her cage, she scrimps and saves, she plays, she dances. But Torvald’s little birdie also lies, flirts, and screams. Henrik Ibsen’s classic A Doll’s House has been deftly adapted by Amy Herzog into the stunning production which you can witness now on stage from Canadian Stage. Directed by artistic director Brendan Healy, this production of A Doll’s House will leave you gasping for air in all the best ways.

Despite my background in literature and drama, this is my first encounter with A Doll’s House.Yet this story is so in the zeitgeist that it felt strangely familiar, and very much like an Ibsen. Nora has been married to Torvald for eight years. They have two beautiful children, a lovely home, and Torvald has just been appointed manager of the Savings Bank – which means that after many years of struggling, the two will finally have some security. However, Nora’s past comes back to haunt her that Christmas, in more ways than she could have anticipated. First, it’s the arrival of her friend, Kristine, whom she hasn’t seen in a decade or so. While the reunion is initially joyous, there’s an odd competitive edge between the two of them: who’s had the harder life and why. But when Krogstad arrives with a decided chip on his shoulder, that’s when Nora’s world suddenly begins to unravel. Secrets are unearthed (both willingly and unwillingly divulged), relationships are strained, and revelations begin to emerge. What’s begun as a play full of sexual tension and intrigue fades into regret and misunderstanding, but also into conviction where there hadn’t been before and a passion which extends beyond the corporeal.

Gillian Gallow’s set and costume design for A Doll’s House not only perfectly embody the essence of the story, but are full of meaning and symbolism which help to highlight the incredible performances which we witness on stage. The Bluma Appel stage’s proscenium has been enhanced with a large gold frame, the gilded cage in which Nora resides. When the red velvet curtains open, it reveals a room draped with curtains in the same shade and fabric, with black wooden furniture sparely placed on the massive stage. As the acts progress, we get the addition of a decorated Christmas tree and the reveal of a large window which allows us to see the falling Christmas Day snow.

However it’s the costumes, particularly Nora’s, which show the full emotional journey of A Doll’s House. The majority of the characters are dressed in blacks and greys. Not in a mourning fasion, but more in a practical sense. Nora starts off in a lush red gown, beautifully complimenting her surroundings; a pretty doll in its pretty house. Even Nora’s children look like little Victorian dolls, with the son dressed in a little sailor’s outfit and the daughter in a baby-doll dress with large poofy sleeves. When Nora and Torvald attend the costume party, she’s changed into a white dress – like the snow which continues to fall outside the window, Nora is being made anew. Her final emergence in the black and refined dress of the other characters is Nora’s way of signifying that she’s ready to join the rest of society; to no longer be a doll in a house, or a bird in a cage, but to join the throngs of the city. And this is not a resignation, rather a freeing and a start to her self-actualization which is truly inspiring.

Hailey Gillis gives a career-defining performance as Nora. Effervescent and sultry in the first act and quietly resolved in the third, there’s little doubt as to why Gillis was chosen for this role. Gray Powell’s Torvald is so perfectly self-absorbed and completely ignorant of the life existing around him. Powell makes Torvald simultaneously alluring and alarming as his moods shift, and his dynamic with Gillis has an undeniable spark. Jamie Robinson’s Krogstad has a quiet, sinister nature, which make him a force to be reckoned with on stage. Laura Condlln brings out Kristine’s kindness and warmth, and her chemistry with Gillis exudes a close friendship. David Collins is a jovial yet cautious Dr. Rank; he has a magnetism which makes him a joy to watch. Elizabeth Saunders, Athan Giazitzidis, and Vera Deodato fill the house with joy as Anne-Marie and her charges Ivar and Emmy.

Though tensions routinely run high, and I left the theatre feeling like I had forgotten to breathe for the last twenty minutes or so, A Doll’s House is an uplifting and empowering story. Revolutionary for its day, this story about a woman realizing she’s been trapped yet again, and resolves to find herself and her place in the world is still exhilarating. Nora has figured out in eight years what it takes some their whole lives to understand: that she’s allowed to have agency in her own life. A Doll’s House not only features some of the most impressive performances you’ll see on stage right now, but also a message of renewal and steadfastness which we could all use in a world that feels like it’s desperately trying to keep us down.

A Doll’s House runs at the Bluma Appel Theatre until February 1. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.canadianstage.com/shows-events/season/a-doll%E2%80%99s-house

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Cover Photo: Gray Powell and Hailey Gillis. Photos by Dahlia Katz. Set & Costume Design by Gillian Gallow. Lighting Design by Kevin Lamotte.

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