“I did it out of love, didn’t I?”
Part of the thrill of watching new actors explode onto the scene is the
knowledge that in at least a few of the cases, we are watching the Judi
Denches, Maggie Smiths and Michael Gambons of our time at the beginnings of
their careers. If I were a betting man, I’d wager that Cush Jumbo will be
someone we are watching for decades to come and it has been a particular
pleasure to watch her work at Manchester’s Royal Exchange progress over the
last few years. Her creative relationship with director Greg Hersov has seen
successful takes on
Pygmalion and
As You Like It and reunited once again, they
now have a go at
A Doll’s House.
Bryony Lavery has slightly retooled Henrik Ibsen’s classic play, sprinkling it
lightly with modern touches which perfectly suit Jumbo’s striking presence as
Nora, a woman who unblinkingly does what she can to protect her husband and
family until finally, she realises that it is herself that she needs to look
after the most. It remains a compellingly foresighted piece of writing – 130 years
old now – challenging social conventions about marriage, motherhood and the
role that money has to play in all of this.
Hersov’s production is unfussy and uncomplicated (there’s something a little
ironic about seeing it done in the round after the spinning house of
the Young Vic’s recent interpretation) resulting in the kind of theatre that is entirely
focused on the acting and it is largely excellent. As the people picking
through the pieces of their own broken lives, Jack Tarlton’s desperate blackmailer
Krogstad, Kelly Hotten’s Mrs Linde who can’t quite bring herself to provide
enough moral support and Jamie De Courcey’s sweet but almost hapless Dr Rank
all seem doomed to muddle through life.
It is only Jumbo’s Nora who manages to break through the torpor of the daily
grind, well evinced by David Sturzaker’s sanctimonious husband who can scarcely
believe what is happening with the person he married. She’s a performer of huge
integrity, making us feel every tiny bit of emotion – the pride, the anguish,
the desperation, the implacable calm that comes with the final realisation of
what she must do. She drives the production along but as a key component of the
whole rather than with the showiness of a starring role – the intensity of the
drama truly an ensemble achievement.
Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes (with interval)
Booking until 1st June
Labels: Amy Cameron, Bryony Lavery, Cush Jumbo, David Sturzaker, Ibsen, Jack Tarlton, Jamie De Courcey, Kelly Hotten, Tessa Bell-Briggs