Royal Lyceum Theatre,
Edinburgh
3 stars
Secrets, lies and
scandal are at the heart of Zinnie Harris' Edwardian update of Henrik
Ibsen's proto-feminist classic, directed here by Graham McLaren for
this National Theatre of Scotland/Royal Lyceum co-production. By
setting this tale of one woman's emancipation from the male world
that controls her among the political classes, Harris gives an even
sharper edge to the public consequences of private actions.
Amy Manson's Nora is
here the trophy wife of Thomas Vaughan, a newly appointed cabinet
minister who Nora nursed through a six month depression. As the pair
move into the house that comes with Thomas' job, Nora is haunted by
the figure of Neil Kelman, Thomas' predecessor, who left his post
under a cloud, and who illegally loaned Nora money to survive during
Thomas' illness. As Nora spends much of the play trying to keep the
truth from Thomas, it's clear that she is no little girl, but an
intelligent, passionate and sexually voracious young woman.
For all its slow-moving
erotic drive, as the time of day is projected onto the wall of Robert
Innes Hopkins' stately town house set, there's something mannered at
the heart of McLaren's ambitious production. While this is largely to
do with a playing style that threatens to teeter into melodrama,
there are some fascinating moments, with Nora's relationship with
Kevin McMonagle's Dr Rank moving beyond the flirtatious to something
more troubling. It's Nora's final confrontation with Hywel Simons'
Thomas, however, that exposes the full emotional shallowness of a
misogynistic world that only sees women as sexual play-things who
must remain loyal no matter what. Taken down a notch, such a brutal
truth could hit home even harder.
The Herald, April 18th 2013
ends
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