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Fringe Review: Woodcourt: Carly and Troy do ‘A Doll’s House’

A Doll's House

In this play-within-a-play, Carly and Troy rehearse their version of the Isben’s classic play, A Doll’s House.

 

A Doll's HousePresented by Woodcourt Art Theatre
Reviewed 16 February 2014

Walking up the four flights of stairs to the Coffee Pot on James Place we are taken into a room in an empty share-house. It’s hot, but hand-held fans are supplied. The audience sits down on three rows of milk crates; Carly and Troy are talking to each other. Has the play started yet?

They’re trying to work out who wrote A Doll’s House. They soon realise it is Ibsen’s classic. Ideas are tossed around; Troy will play Nora and Carly will play Torvald.

Woodcourt: Carly and Troy Do ‘A Doll’s House’ is a play within a play as we observe Carly and Troy rehearse their version of the classic. There are arguments on stage, Troy wants to be suspended from the ceiling as Beyonce’s Halo plays, but Carly is bossy and doesn’t approve of Troy’s creative ideas.

Throughout the play there are crosses to video-rehearsal diaries which are projected onto the butcher paper set of flimsy wooden frames. Such a simple set is used effectively throughout the play and enhances the use of multimedia which capitalises on emotional moments with different filters and frames.

A minor technical difficulty albeit at a crucial moment broke the emotional intensity of Ibsen’s third act – which is the focus of this play – along with a rather quirky and awkward intermission.

Carly and Troy switch from students swapping ideas to the roles of Nora and Torvald with ease and they display a great chemistry. By swapping genders, Carly and Troy address some of the key issues that Ibsen brought up in his play including the relationship between gender and power.

Carly and Troy Do ‘A Doll’s House’ is a quirky, clever and contemporary remake of Henrik Ibsen’s classic. It takes an older text and adds contemporary pop culture allowing it to be enjoyed in a new light by both those who know the text and those being introduce to it.

Reviewed by Isabella Pittaway

Venue: The Coffee Pot, Upstairs, cnr James place and Rundle Mall
Season: 14 – 26 February
Duration: 70 minutes
Tickets: $15.00 – $17.00
Bookings: Book through FringeTix online or phone 1300 621 255

 

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