Ibsen Revisited

One of the most important works in theatre history gets a sequel in 2017, with A Doll's House, Part 2. Written by Lucas Hnath (The Christians), this new play imagines Nora Helmer returning to her family, years after she walked out on them in the climatic moments of Ibsen's 1879 masterpiece. Held up as both a milestone for playwriting and women's rights, A Doll's House is certainly a hard act to follow, yet the fact that producer Scott Rudin is premiering Part 2 on Broadway suggests that Hnath's work is something special. And so it proved, with the production garnering eight Tony Award nominations, and winning the Best Actress Award for Laurie Metcalf's performance as Nora.

What is A Doll's House, Part 2 About?

A sensation upon its initial publication, Ibsen's A Doll House attacked the social and cultural norms of its day by telling the story of Nora Helmer, a woman trapped inside a suffocating, loveless marriage to bank manager Torvald. All her life Nora has existed as nothing more than a piece of property for a man, first her father and now her husband. She realises that to truly become her own person she must strike out on her own, and so leaves Torvald and her children in the play's final moments, slamming the door behind her.

A Doll's House, Part 2 resumes the action years later with a knock on the Helmer's front door. Standing on the threshold is none other than Nora. Why is she back? And how will the family she left behind react to her sudden reappearance?