A DOLL’S HOUSE - REVIEW OF 2026 PRODUCTION AT BLUMA APPEL THEATRE

 Reviewed by James Karas

Henrik Ibsen great play, A Doll’s House is approaching its 150^th  anniversary since its publication in 1879. It sent shockwaves far beyond the theatre with its plot of a woman leaving her husband and children to face a world where women had almost no rights. The play holds its power and the current stunning production by Canadian Stage reminds us of its greatness.

Nora is a happy woman. She lives in a beautiful house with her husband Torvald, two children and a maid. She loves to shop and her husband has just been promoted at the bank which translates into more money for more shopping. Hailey Gillis, dressed in a beautiful red gown, practically flies with delight.   

However, there is a lot more to Nora. She  has a chink in the armour of her bliss. Her husband was ill and the best cure was living in Italy for a year. She went to Krogstad (Jamie Robinson), a loan shark and borrowed the money from him. Her well-off father guaranteed the loan and there is a problem with that. The guarantee was signed after his death. In other words, Nora committed a serious crime. But she is very proud of saving her husband’s life. She is almost a shopaholic and her relationship with the terminally ill  Dr. Rank and her dreams of being left lots of money by him raise one’s eyebrows. She shows strength and weakness and is a complex character that Gillis brings forth in a bravura performance.  

Hailey Gillis as Nora in delirious dance. Photo Dahlia Katz

Her husband Torvald (Gray Powell) loves her, tries to control her spending and treats her with affection, calling her his songbird. He is highly moral and intends to fire Krogstad from his job at the bank for ethical reasons. The upstanding Torvald is about to be thrown into a moral dilemma of utmost difficulty when he finds out that his wife has committed the same crime as Krogstad and revelation of the former would compromise his status. Powell gives us the accepted position at the time, of the controlling position of a man and he does a superb job of acting.

Robinson’s Krogstad is painted as a scumbag as he threatens to expose Nora’s fraud but Ibsen gives him a redeeming feature that works through the revival of his old relationship with Kristine. David Collins as the old and ill Dr. Rank is good friend but we may have the right to suspect an ulterior motive in his relationship with Nora. Condlin is excellent as the desperate Kristine. All do superb work in their roles.

All the complex relationships come to a head when Torvald finds out the crime that his songbird committed to save his life. He freaks out.

The resolution of the dilemma comes from Krogstad and Kristine (Laura Condlin), Nora’s old school friend. She is a widow looking for a lifeline. She was in love with Krogstad long ago and Torvald offered her a job at the bank. Krogstad’s job.

This is a powerful production that brings the moral and personal issues raised by Ibsen into sharp focus. Amy Herzog’s new version is largely faithful to Ibsen but she has tightened the plot and we get the full dramatic effect of the play.

The set by Gillian Gallow consists of rich wine-red curtains covering the set and the stage. There are only a table and some chairs. Very apt and dramatic. The costumes are 19^th century suits and tails for the men and long dresses for the women.

Kudos to director Brendan Healy for an emotionally intense, gripping and nuanced production. We see the complexity and indeed greatness of the play (with a bow) to Amy Herzog and are treated to theatre at its best.   
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A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen in a new version by Amy Herzog,  presented by Canadian Stage, continues until February 1, 2026, at the Bluma Appel Theatre. St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front Street East, Toronto, Ontario. www.canadianstage.com/

James Karas is the Culture Editor of The Greek Press, Toronto