Amato’s ‘Doll’s House 2’ asks tough questions

Imagine walking out on your husband, three children and a society that thinks it knows better than you do, only to return 15 years later and find the door still open but nothing else quite the same.

Theatre on The Square puts this notion forward in a new production A Doll’s House 2

A Doll’s House 2 picks up the story where the first play left off.

The first instalment, A Doll’s House, looked at the fate of main character Nora Helmer as a married woman.

There were no real opportunities for her to gain any kind of self-fulfilment in a male dominated world. In short, it was probably the world’s first feminist play, written by Norwegian playwright Hendik Ibsen and first performed in 1879.

Back then, the idea of a woman abandoning her family to find herself was unthinkable. The final moment of that play, a single door closing behind Nora, echoed far beyond the theatre. It was not just scandalous; it caused quite a stir and has been doing so for well over a century and a half.

In fact, in 2006 it was one of the world’s most performed plays.

Everyone wanted to know what happened next

And yet, while Ibsen never wrote a sequel. Everyone wanted to know what happened next.

This second episode, now on stage at Theatre On The Square in Sandton, completes the circle.

It was penned by American playwright Lucas Hnath. The show stars veteran actor Zane Meas and led by highly-pedigreed South African performer Bianca Amato.

“You really do not need to have seen part one to get into this,” Amato said. “It is a completely fresh take, with its own bite. The premise is simple. Nora returns because she discovers she is still legally married. She needs a divorce to finish what she started. But of course, nothing is simple.”

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Nora is no longer a housewife. She has made a name for herself in her worn right, openly criticising the institution of marriage. But her return sets off a chain of uncomfortable and often hilarious confrontations, said Amato.

The play throws four characters into a single room and lets the sparks fly. No one is let off the hook.

‘It’s feisty, funny, moving and thought provoking’

“It is a really feisty, funny, moving and thought-provoking piece,” said Amato. “You will probably change your mind several times during the show. That is what makes it exciting. No one has all the answers. Everyone is flawed. And the arguments are compelling on all sides.”

The dialogue is modern, despite the period setting. The questions it raises are very much for today. Is marriage outdated? Can people change? Is it selfish to put your own growth before your obligations to others?

“It is incredibly relevant,” said director Barbara Rubin. “When I was preparing for this production, Kamala Harris was running for president in the United States. The backlash she faced as a qualified female candidate was brutal. It reminded me just how far we still must go.

“Spending time with Nora, who has become wiser and stronger, was a kind of comfort during that time.”

A gloves-off debate

Rubin called the play a gloves-off debate, both personal and political.

“It is about how much has changed, and how much has not,” she said. “It is smart, but also very funny. That is what makes it work.”

Amato is loving the show.

“We are all bringing our best to this,” said Amato. “The production design is meticulous. The performances are sharp. The story is gripping. It is not some dusty drama. It is a lively, entertaining night out.”

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