A Doll’s House, Part 2 is a recognizable story about the difficulty of loving
On 15 November, the Helsinki City Theatre’s small stage will host the premiere of the successful play A Doll’s House (Part 2), written by American Lucas Hnath. The Tony-nominated work will be seen at the City Theatre right from the start, and the play premiered on Broadway in 2017. The play is directed by Liisa Mustonen, who is making her directorial debut at HKT.
A Doll’s House, Part 2 tells the story of what happens when the main character of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, Nora Helmer, who has left her family, returns through the same door she left through 15 years earlier. Nora left to survive and be able to be herself. He has taken responsibility for his own freedom, for which he has paid a high price. But now Nora has a reason to return, and when she returns, she faces her past and the consequences of her own departure.
“A doll’s house, part 2, I am touched by the question of women’s equality and the fight for freedom. But above all, I am struck by a theme that permeates all of this: ‘what separates us is not difference, but similarity’. The characters in the work are like mirrors of each other, people who are fighting for their own rights and their own freedom. And as long as they don’t face themselves and the other, it’s as if they’re fighting against themselves in the other. And when they fight, they are not free, they do not grow, they do not meet, they do not love, they do not really live, but they simply survive, dependent,” says director Liisa Mustonen.
“These big themes are rampant in the work, which is very charming, moving and really funny in its recognizability! The play is a drama, a real textual fireworks!”, Mustonen continues.
In the play, the epoch of the early 1900s and modern language meet in a delicious way. The themes of the play, in addition to freedom and responsibility, equality and the difficulty of loving, touch everyone who has ever lived in a family or relationship.
Nora is played by Susanna Mikkonen, who is returning to the theatre stage, the role of Torvald is played by Santeri Kinnunen, Anne-Marie is played by Ursula Salo and the role of the Emmy daughter is played by Elina Hietala.
The set and costumes for the play, translated into Finnish by Reita Lounatvuori, have been designed by Antti Mattila. The lighting design is by William Iles and the sound design is by Eradj Nazimov. The camouflage and hairstyles are designed by Jutta Kainulainen.
A Doll’s House, Part 2 premiere 15.11.2018 on the small stage of the Helsinki City Theatre (Eläintarhantie 5)
Tickets: €19.50 – €39 (incl. pm)