Review-A Doll's House-Theatre du Pif
20-10-12
Henrik Ibsen’s classic A Doll’s House is the latest offering from Theatre du Pif and Canadian director Marjorie Chan, suggesting that traditions and values held in 19th century Norway are not so different from those held in modern Hong Kong society.
A Doll’s House is an exploration of a person’s conflict between her duty towards her husband, her children and society, and her need for independence and self-discovery. An in-depth history on the play’s synopsis and production can be found on Wikipedia.
Ibsen’s play has been given a total makeover. It is now bilingual, one hour shorter, and set in Hong Kong in 1968. When it comes to adaptations, the question to ask is whether it does justice to the original play, and in this case, A Doll’s House does.
Well, how do they do it? Instead of relying on wordy dialogue to convey the plot, this particular production makes effective and economic use of visuals and monologues to move the storyline along. Most notable were the scene transitions, where the dance choreography seamlessly joined scenes that would otherwise look disconnected. The set was also clean, white and simple, in keeping with Ibsen’s naturalistic drama.
The 1968 Hong Kong setting also works pretty well. The changing of Norwegian names into Chinese names was appropriate for its Hong Kong audience. The changing of the Italian Tarantella to an Indian dance was less successful, substituting its core symbolism (a dance to keep death from snakebite and other unwanted things at bay) for the colonial Raj’s delighting of its British colonial overlords.
There isn’t much I want to criticize the play about, since I thought it was well executed and I enjoyed myself. This production runs 90 minutes without intermission, and not once did I look at the time, nor feel that the play dragged. (And it wasn’t just me. The theatre was full and at the end people were standing to applaud the cast.)
I will say something about the bilingual adaptation though. Most of the time, the interchange between Cantonese and English was flawless, made easier by the fact that Nora only spoke English to her husband Raymond and their friend, Dr. Rank. She sometimes transitioned into Cantonese when she loses control of herself, but that was also delivered naturally. What did not always come naturally were the Cantonese dialogues, perhaps because English metaphors do not make as much sense when they are spoken in Cantonese.
For example, “I am a shipwrecked man clinging to a bit of wreckage” really does not sound so romantic in Cantonese. Trust me. I know. These moments were distinctly marked by laughter in the audience, although reading the English subtitles, I would imagine the scene was supposed to be moving and not at all comedic.
I don’t claim to be an expert on 1960s Hong Kong, but it has clear parallels with the values underlying the play, where women were increasingly joining the workforce and gaining their own independence. The play was revolutionary when first produced in depicting women breaking from the social norms and, instead of depending on their husbands for finance and being obedient and submissive, choosing to become more self-sufficient and thereby imperiling the sanctity of the family unit.
It might be, however, worth pondering whether this phenomenon really resonates with Hong Kong, as it is today, where women are liberated and free to do as they please.
A Doll's House is playing at the HK Rep Blackbox in Sheung Wan through the 21st of October. Click here for more details.
Comments
THM
I just want to rave about the production values for this show. The set, lighting, sound, costumes were spot on. The multi-media projections were flawless and conjured up an appropriately 'In The Mood For Love' atmosphere. For a first night rendering, especial respect for the producers!
20 October 2012
One question though - why do Raymond and Nora, both Cantonese, talk to each other exclusively in English? A gweilo/canto casting combo would be more naturalistic. Maybe Raymond is such a banana he insists on talking English to his wife (for the benefit of the barely seen children) but in the intimate moments you'd think he'd speak his mother tongue. Then too Nora could speak Cantonese to Kristine without any risk of her husband understanding - and it plays up the colonial themes. (Maybe Bonnie and Sean don't want to do husband and wife on stage together because they do it already at home.)
That aside, great show - and great parallels with 1968 HK. In Ibsen's day, women didn't have the vote. In colonial HK, no-one had the vote - benevolent (male dominated) despotism ruled!Nicole Garbellini
Absolutely stunning production. How well the adaptation blend with the original script. Well done!
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