A Doll's House Part 2 by Lucas Hnath - Blue Room Theatre

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Tue 11 Jun 2024 - Sat 29 Jun 2024

McLean, E. (Director). (2024). A Doll’s House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath. Hnath, L. (Writer). [Theatre Production] Blue Room Theatre. Photo credit Cole Baxter.

A Red Ryder Production of A Doll’s House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath premiered at the Blue Room Theatre on Tuesday, 11 June 2024. It was directed by Emily McLean, produced by Benj D'Addario, and stars Alison van Reeken, Julia Moody, ‘Ana Ika and Maitland Schnaars. A Doll's House, Part 2 is a realist drama that was inspired by Henrik Ibsen’s 1879 play A Doll’s House. The original 1879 play tells the story of a married woman, Nora, who has been fashioned into playing the role of the perfect “doll wife” to her husband Torvald and a loving mother to their three young children. The play focuses on Nora’s growing frustration with the limitations placed on women in a patriarchal society. A Doll’s House ends with Nora handing her husband her wedding ring, declaring her independence, and stepping out the front door and slamming it shut behind her. Ibsen’s A Doll House is regarded as an early example of modern feminist literature.


McLean, E. (Director). (2024). A Doll’s House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath. Hnath, L. (Writer). [Theatre Production] Blue Room Theatre. Photo credit Cole Baxter.

A Doll’s House, Part 2 was written by Lucas Hnath in 2017. It is set 15 years after the end of A Doll’s House and deals with Nora returning to her ex-husband’s house to demand that Torvald finalize their divorce. A Doll’s House, Part 2 had some of the best performances that I have seen in years. I was instantly captured by the performance of Alison van Reeken as Nora. The play begins with Nora knocking on the same door that she closed behind her fifteen years ago. She is greeted at the door by Anne Marie (Julia Moody), her former Nanny, who helped to raise her and her three young children. When Nora steps in through the door, she is smiling, and wearing a fur coat. After leaving her family, she started writing feminist literature and managed to amass a fortune for herself writing books that encouraged unhappy women to leave their marriages. Her work as a feminist writer made her some enemies who managed to uncover that Torvald never filed the papers for their divorce. As a woman, Nora cannot legally file the papers herself so she has returned home to try and convince Torvald to do it.


McLean, E. (Director). (2024). A Doll’s House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath. Hnath, L. (Writer). [Theatre Production] Blue Room Theatre. Photo credit Stewart Thorpe Photography.

Nora is very proud of the life that she has made for herself and has very little regret over leaving her family. When Anne Marie suggests that she consider meeting her adult children, Nora dismisses the suggestion, because she thinks she is little more than a stranger to them. When Torvald (Maitland Schnaars) arrives home, the tension is thick between the ex-husband and wife. It turns out that after Nora left the family, they let everyone believe that she was dead. Torvald doesn’t want to grant Nora a divorce because it would mean essentially admitting to fraud. This puts Nora in the difficult position of trying to win over her daughter Emmy (‘Ana Ilka) to help her convince Torvald to change his mind and give her a divorce.


McLean, E. (Director). (2024). A Doll’s House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath. Hnath, L. (Writer). [Theatre Production] Blue Room Theatre. Photo credit Stewart Thorpe Photography.

I thought that A Doll’s House, Part 2 made some very interesting points about marriage and a woman’s place in society. Nora no longer believes in marriage. She thinks that it is a con that women are tricked into that limits their options in life. She thinks that unhappy women shouldn’t honour the contract of marriage and that it is cruel for Torvald to hold her to something that she does not want. I really liked how Nora’s character was written. I thought that she made some good points about how marriage was unfair to women. I also liked the points that she made about the role that women play in the household. She refuses to feel bad for turning her back on motherhood. She argues that men leave their families all the time. Why is it that when a mother does the same she’s automatically branded a monster? Nora is not a character completely without faults. She is also selfish, narcissistic, and likes to play the victim. Even when Torvald gives her what she wants, she struggles to accept it, because she doesn’t want to be saved by a man.

I thought that A Doll’s House, Part 2 was an excellent play about marriage, the patriarchy, and equal rights for women. Nora is a flawed character who isn’t always likeable but that doesn’t change the fact that she had every right to step out of that door fifteen years ago and seek happiness elsewhere. A Doll’s House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath is currently showing at the Blue Room Theatre until Saturday, 29 June 2024. The show runs for 90 minutes, contains coarse language, and is suitable for people 12 years old and older. Ticket prices are $32.00 for full price and $27.00 for concession. To book tickets for this show please visit https://blueroom.org.au

Marisa Quinn-Haisu was invited as a guest

Summary: A Doll’s House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath examines gender roles, the institution of marriage, and societal expectations put on women.
Cost Full price tickets $32.00, concession $27.00
Website: https://blueroom.org.au/events/a-dolls-house/
When: Tuesday, 11 June to Saturday, 29 June 2024.
Where:The Blue Room Theatre, 53 James Street Mall, Perth WA 6000
Running Time: 90 mins
Audience: 12 years old and older
More Theatre Reviews by Marisa
GROUNDED: Fringe World 2017 - Review
The State - The Blue Room Theatre
Gal Pals - The Blue Room Theatre
Hell is Other People - The Blue Room Theatre
Where Water Once Was - The Blue Room Theatre
We'll Always Have Bali - The Blue Room Theatre
The Bleeding Tree - Blue Room Theatre
Borderline - The Blue Room Theatre
Watch and Act - The Blue Room Theatre

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