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Towards the end of act 1, and around twenty-seven minutes into Thacker’s adaptation, there is a confrontation between Nora and the aforementioned Nils Krogstad (inset), who it is revealed was the official who provided Nora the loan, and who discovered her crime. Krogstad, who fears he is about to lose his job at the hands of Nora’s husband, is desperate, and attempts to blackmail her with the threat of revealing the truth if she does not help secure his future. This is particularly important to him, as he has previously been guilty of a similar crime, and as such, needs his position in order to rebuild his reputation.

Thacker, throughout this scene and most of the production, positions his cast much as one may expect to see in a stage performance; with the actors blocked so that they are clearly visible from the same position; although camera angles change. In the scene in question, the actors portraying Nora and Krogstad stand in the drawing room throughout their tense conversation. Nora has closed the door, and Krogstad removes his coat without being invited. This gives the audience its first inclination that there is some secret, and an abnormal balance of power. As the two characters begin evaluate one another,  they skirt the issue with conversation about Nora’s influence on her husband. Krogstad is keen to establish that she does indeed have some, and Nora, unaware of what he is getting at, enjoys for a moment her chance to revel in the fact. At this point, with Nora feeling somewhat in-charge of the situation, she tickles the keys on a piano to punctuate this sentiment. A shrill sound, not out-of-place in the score of a horror film, comes from it, and with this directorial decision, Thacker adds more uneasiness to an already difficult scene to watch.

The two opponents spend the scene blocked at varying distances from one another, with the actors advancing toward each other at the points in which the tensions between them are greatest. On viewing this, the audience feels anxious that the argument may escalate. However, the tension is repeatedly quelled when the characters restrain their secretive argument and again increase the distance between themselves. This fluctuation in the mood of the scene, coupled with the apparent changes in the power balance between the two as more information is realised, results in a gripping display of conflict for the audience. Identity is also a key theme in this scene, as the two characters fight for their reputation. Identity is the central source of conflict. Krogstad declares he would fight for his reputation as if his life depended on it; and Nora, who states the secret is her Joy, and her pride, is frantic when she feels her position is threatened. It is only later when each of these characters realise what is truly important, that they will give up on the conflict, and focus on who they really are.

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David Thacker’s adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s seminal play A Doll’s House is a tour de force in merging the intimacy of live theatre with the cinematic dexterity afforded by the camera. Thacker has chosen to remain true to many traditional features associated with Ibsen’s 1879 play, such as the period costume, set design, and his choosing to maintain the use of certain Norwegian colloquialisms within the dialogue. This has the effect of rooting the audience in the nineteenth century timeframe of the original text. A brave choice, as it could certainly be argued that the play could easily be updated, which a contemporary audience may prefer. Nevertheless, through the depiction of these characters wearing typical nineteenth century middle class costume, and their existing within an ornately furnished archetypal, nineteenth century home, the audience is granted their expectation of the titular doll’s house.

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A painting done of the City Dionysia Festival depicting a Satyr play.

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Theatre Dionysus

The theatre Dionysus (where the plays were performed) was built in the shadow of the Acropolis in Athens at the beginning of the 5th century. The theatre Dionysus was built with a pit for the orchestra where the chorus would sing and dance, the proskenion where the actors performed, the logeion which is a speaking space for the actors and a parados (plural: parodi) which was the walkways used by the chorus and often the actors for entrances and exits

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A drone capture of the theatre Dionysus in Athens where the first Greek performances were held.

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Ancient Greek staging

Ancient Greek staging was incredibly different to what it is now. The proskenion has multiple components; the skene (Greek = tent) is a building behind the proskenion that was originally a hut for when the actors needed to change their masks and costumes, it eventually became the background and the drama acted in front of it.

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An illustration labelled with the different parts of the stages used by the ancient Greek during their performances.

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Proskenion, Orchestra and Ekkyklema

The proskenion itself is a narrow-raised stage where solo actors performed, the Greek chorus and musicians remained in the orchestra (other spaces were available above and beyond the skene). The orchestra (Greek = “dancing place”) was normally a circular shape. It was a level space where the chorus would dance, sing, and interact with the actors who were on the stage near the skene. The ekkyklema is a stage mechanism consisting of a low platform that was rolled out on wheels to reveal and interior or an offstage such as a tableau.