A Doll's House at the Almeida: A Thrilling, Steamy, and Ambitious Revival
As Oscar Wilde might have quipped, "Everything in the world is about sex, except sex. Sex is about power." This pithy observation serves as a perfect summary for Anya Reiss's propulsive, steamy, and ambitious retelling of Henrik Ibsen's most enduring play, A Doll's House, currently captivating audiences at the Almeida Theatre in London.
A Modern Twist on a Classic Tale
In this thoroughly contemporary version, Nora and Torvald have just moved into a sprawling converted townhouse that could easily be located on the same Islington street as the Almeida theatre. The action unfolds in a vast, pristine white basement, setting the stage for a drama of financial intrigue and psychosexual tension. Torvald, still a banker, is reimagined as a fintech bro who has recently sold his upstart asset management firm, seemingly ending his family's financial woes—assuming due diligence auditors uncover nothing suspicious, a plot point dubbed 'Chekhov's Auditor'.
However, the family's troubles stem from Torvald's cocaine addiction and subsequent stint in a Paracelsus-esque rehab clinic. Nora, in a desperate move, "borrowed" money from a client's account without permission or informing her husband, setting the stage for a middle-class house of cards poised to collapse at any moment. This triggers a series of intense psychosexual interactions as Nora frantically attempts to avert disaster, unfolding with the taut pacing and anxiety-dream energy reminiscent of an episode of Succession.
Power Dynamics and Desperate Measures
As Nora becomes increasingly boxed in by her circumstances, she turns to sex as a potential solution. Her flirtations with the terminally ill Petter raise questions about inheritance, while a lap-dance for her husband in a chintzy, Amazon-bought nurse outfit becomes a bid to buy time. In Ibsen's original 1879 play, Nora's lack of agency was clear, reflecting laws that prohibited women from managing their own finances. In this 2026 adaptation, Nora faces less tangible but equally oppressive obstacles: as a wife, she is expected to mold her life around her husband's needs, bailing him out in destitution and reverting to supportive domesticity when he regains success.
Stellar Performances and Direction
The production is excellently acted throughout, with Romola Garai delivering a magnetic performance as Nora, radiating desperation and a chaotic sexuality. Tom Mothersdale portrays Torvald as an oily and nerdy figure, not inherently evil but weak, simultaneously reliant on and dismissive of Nora. While the play's verisimilitude occasionally falters in supporting character dynamics—such as the underwritten role of old friend Kristine or Nora's absurd flirting with Petter—the direction shines. Throbbing music punctuates the action, including a dance routine to the TikTok hit Man in Finance, adding a modern flair.
Audiences may leave slightly torn, pondering whether scenes like Garai's slut-drop in a revealing dress play too much to the male gaze, but this ambiguity is precisely the intended effect, sparking reflection on power and perception.
A Doll's House runs at the Almeida Theatre until 23 May, offering a must-see exploration of contemporary issues through a classic lens.
