Stef Smith - Nora: A Dolls House

Stef Smith

NORA :

A DOLLS

HOUSE

A radical new version of

Henrik Ibsens play

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Nora : A Dolls House was originally produced by the Citizens Theatre and performed at Tramway, Glasgow, on 15 March 2019, with the following cast:

A new production of Nora : A Dolls House opened at the Young Vic, London, on 11 February 2020, with the following cast:

Jlia Levai is supported by the Jerwood Assistant Director Program at the Young Vic.

Simonne Mason is supported by the Boris Karloff Trainee Assistant Director Program at the Young Vic.

Acknowledgements

My sincere appreciation to the cast, crew and creatives who were involved in the making of Nora : A Dolls House. Both at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow and the Young Vic in London.

My thanks to Dominic Hill for developing and believing in this play, Frances Poet for her endless support, and as always, my agent Davina Shah and the entire team at Nick Hern Books.

With thanks to my friends who held me up during the making of this play. Especially, Dawn & Ewan, Rose & Jack and Helen & Alan who without question gave me their homes and hearts. And my family for their endless encouragement, support and stories of the 1960s.

Finally, thank you to Elizabeth Freestone for her care, courage and collaboration.

S.S.

sometimes

the whole world of women

seems a landscape of

red blood and things

that need healing,

the fears all

fears of the flesh;

will it open

or close

will it scar or

keep bleeding

will it live

will it live

will it live and

will he murder it or

marry it.

Lucille Clifton

she is dreaming

In a murderous time

the heart breaks and breaks

and lives by breaking.

It is necessary to go

through dark and deeper

dark and not to turn.

Stanley Kunitz

The Testing-Tree

Characters

NORA 1

NORA 2

NORA 3

THOMAS 1

THOMAS 2

THOMAS 3

CHRISTINE 1

CHRISTINE 2

CHRISTINE 3

NATHAN 1

NATHAN 2

NATHAN 3

DANIEL 1

DANIEL 2

DANIEL 3

For the premiere production in the spring of 2019, we used the following doubling:

NORA 1/CHRISTINE 3

NORA 2/CHRISTINE 1

NORA 3/CHRISTINE 2

When the script states NORA (all), all the performers playing Nora should perform those words.

THOMAS 1/2/3

NATHAN 1/2/3

DANIEL 1/2/3

When the script states THOMAS (all), all the performers not playing Nora should perform those words.

Writers Note

Any character with a 1 after their name exists in 2018

Any character with a 2 after their name exists in 1968

Any character with a 3 after their name exists in 1918

This play is set in a living room, over three consecutive days in December.

The writer suggests that on stage there are two doors one leading to the outside world, one leading into the rest of the house. There should be some chairs for people to sit on, there might also be a Christmas tree.

For simplicity and clarity all stage directions refer to the singular, i.e. Nora, not Noras. This does not mean the action should not / cannot be performed by all the performers.

A forward slash (/) denotes an interruption.

Where entirely necessary the actors can change words to suit their own dialect.

All and any suggestions to the set, design, movement, entrances and exits are meant merely as helpful guidance. Imagine it as you wish.

This ebook was created before the end of rehearsals and so may differ slightly from the play as performed.

DAY ONE