Reviews

With an all-Australian theme, cast and creatives alike, this ominous story and production is a intriguing look at the relationship between a father and daughter through the eyes of the locals in a small outback country town, an interpretation conceived by acclaimed Director Michael Gow. From the very first notes played, there is a sense of foreboding eventually developing into a story full of symbolism reflecting mother-nature herself intertwined with the intricacies of the human condition.

There have been many versions and interpretations of the folklore the famous German Grimm Brothers published in the 19th century, having compiled hundreds of stories and edited them in various ways to make them more palatable for the general reader. So many adaptations have surfaced over the years in theatre, film, animation, opera, ballet, you name it, but this version by the illustrious Shake & Stir Theatre Company is quite unlike anything I've ever seen before.

Nora: A Doll’s House has been described as “a radical reinterpretation” of Ibsen’s original play. Performed by WAAPA Third Year Acting Students, and designed, built and crewed by WAAPA Production and Design Students, this version features a much larger cast than the West End Production, whose 2020 run was unfortunately cut short by the Covid Pandemic.

It’s 1967, and three families, whose only connection is their relationship to the local school, meet after the performance of the school’s Christmas play.  Roy (Jim Adamik), the school’s principal, makes his end-of-year speech and wishes all a happy Christmas before greeting individual family members.  Roy’s embarrassingly aloof and strange wife, Coral (Andrea Close), floats unsociably in the background, attracting unfavourable comments.