Nora seems to have it all a successful husband, adorable children and a beautiful home. But her picture perfect life is actually a complicated trap of secrets and lies.
The great psychological thriller, 'A Doll's House', by Henrik Ibsen is still just as gripping as it was 135 years ago. Recreated by one of Australia's most gifted playwrights, Lally Katz's superb new version of the world's most performed play is set to highlight La Boite's season and the Brisbane Festival.
We spoke with creator, Lally Katz.
Describe this production in a sentence?
I don't know yet what the production will be like, and really Steven Mitchell Wright will determine that- but the script is in some ways quite faithful to the original, in some ways a time traveling musical.
Your fav line in the play and why?
In my version I quite like some of the songs.
How do you think yours and Steven's creative energies combine?
I think we're both really full of energy and looking for life and magic and truth in the world of the play. So far we've been having a lot of fun together!
Tell me about the changes you've brought to this version? And where did you gather the ideas and inspirations for these?
In some ways the script and structure is quite close to the original. But as I was working on it, I realised that all of the characters have these sort of moments where they speak what is in their hearts- these kind of declarations and I thought that they had a similar form to how a musical slips into song, so I wrote songs for each of the characters. Nora has quite a few songs. I also thought a lot about where women were at then, and what relationships between women and men are like now. The script is not really modernised, except for in parts.
Being the most performed play in the world, what kind of pressure do you feel to deliver something different?
In some ways I didn't feel that much pressure, more I felt pressure to do something that was true to the original spirit of the script, whilst putting my own truth into it- because I think you have to do that as a writer on anything you work on. I wasn't really looking for points of difference, more connection. I think if anything goes through you it will be different, just because some of you will then be in it too. I think it's ended up being quite true to the original, but quite true to me as a writer too.
What are your thoughts on perfection? And living a perfect life?
I think about it a lot! I am always trying to achieve being 'normal'! But am always thwarted. My sister in law told me one that beige goes with everything, so I started dressing head to toe in beige. As an artist, you often feel as though you are outside the norm- I am always trying to become a part of society. I'm not married and I don't have children- my world is really my work- but I worry about that a lot. A lot of my questions in life are about how to be a woman who is dedicated to her work and not miss out on life experiences. I haven't figured out how to do everything yet. And writing about Nora really helped me to think more about what it is that I am striving for.
What's your writing style? And any advice to up-and-coming writers/playwrights?
I am only ever trying to write truth and life for characters and to make a world that audiences can go into and believe in, and go on a journey in. Sometimes certain stories work better in a surreal style, sometimes in naturalism, or a combination of both. I think my plays are often a combination of surreal and naturalistic- probably because that's the way that I see the world. My advice to up and coming writers/playwrights would be- write the stuff that's interesting to you. Someone wise told me once that if I don't like it, then no one will. The trick is following your instinct, but also learning to grow at the same time. This is harder than it sounds! My other big bit of advice is- if you want to be a playwright, see as much theatre as possible. Learn craft from seeing theatre. But don't get your characters and stories from other theatre- get them from life. Follow your instinct, but constantly challenge yourself.
If you were in a movie based on your life, who would play you and what would the title be?
A series of obsessions and maybe I would play myself- but a lot of it would be unbelievable like when I played my 16-year-old self.
What do you want audiences to say as they leave?
I want them to feel that they have been into the world of the play and believed and felt the characters. All I ever really want is that the audience feels they have come into the world of the play and gone on a journey.
And what will you be saying to yourself on opening night?
Opening nights are always so surreal because there it is- suddenly in front of an audience! I have this ritual where I call my parents and my father has to say, 'take the piss' (in a good way) and my mother has to say, 'Have fun'. I make them both say it again and again. Then once the play is on, I usually live and die with every moment.
'A Doll's House' plays at the La Boite Theatre as apart of the Brisbane Festival from the 6th to the 27th September.
