Mirror
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Inspiration
for modern ‘dolls’ A ‘songbird’ looking for a miracle and instead finding harsh reality and finally flying free. A man broken because he is just what society wanted him to be. A despised man with a hidden heart of silver if not gold, a widow who at last finds relative stability and sound happiness… playtime ends with a jolt in the British School of Colombo’s production of Hendrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. It was nothing short of entertaining on opening night (February 25). One remarkable factor was that despite the young cast involved, they showed maturity in bringing forward the twists and turns of the plot. Considering that the play is not based on much action and places more emphasis on character interaction, this was indeed a great feat. If I were to say Stephanie De Mel’s interpretation of Nora was worthy of a special mention, I’m sure none would disagree. As young as she is, she was very effective in making the audience sympathise with Nora’s lot in life without resorting to overacting. The frivolous and flirty Nora, the repressed and unhappy Nora, the sweetly scheming Nora, Nora who is at wits end about how to find a way out and finally, a Nora who goes in search of herself… all skillfully brought out without recourse to melodrama. From beginning to end the audience was caught up in her plight, and she kept the spectators with her through thick and thin right up to the climax when she stands up for herself with new found and delicious self-confidence. The play, which shocked its maiden 19th century audiences, not only due to Ibsen’s choice of a housewife heroine, who questions middle-class values, or even its disguised feminist overtones, is obviously of value even in today’s context, despite the inroads made in women’s liberation. In the role of Christine Linde, Upashama Talgaswatte, initially a bitter, newly widowed long lost friend of Nora, who later reclaims her earlier rejected true love (whose identity was a surprise to the audience), her role was played to perfection. Alongside the seemingly lighthearted and playful child-like Nora, Christine appears world weary and all-knowing and yet when Christine’s well kept secret of affection towards the “evil” Krogstad is revealed, it shows a different twist to her character. The best scenes by far were between these two rising young stars who showed the different aspects of life as lived by women even up to date. Bhanu Abayasinghe’s Torvald Helmer was very convincing and his volatile temperament was portrayed in a manner where the audience eventually realises the character’s slavery to what society dictates and that he too is a victim of circumstance. While cheering the beautiful heroine on, many were those who secretly sympathised (even if it was just pity for his foolishness in being blind to what truly matters) with Torvald even though he was anything but a condescending and over-bearing husband. Krogstad in the hands of Roshan Gunawardhane was evil-toned, chilling, repulsive and finally in showing his hidden human nature beneath the layers of whatever foul naturedness that was initially his cloak while in society, his was anything but an ordinary character portrayal. While the young ladies who portrayed the maid and nanny could have done a better, Janik Rodrigo gradually grew into his role of the dying doctor friend of the Helmers and towards the end of the play, was at his best. “A doll child, a doll wife…” moans Nora of what her life has been and leaves her husband (whom she falls out of love with once his shallow nature was finally irrevocably displayed to her) and children by uttering a truly profound statement for one of her circumstance; that if she was to return to her marriage and children, then the greatest miracle of all should take place, that her husband and her should have what could truly be called a marriage. With what religion, her father and then her husband forced down on her discarded and in search of truth by herself, Nora of A Doll’s House was and is an inspiration to women of today. |
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