Nora A Doll's House - Royal Exchange Theatre

IT’S really depressing when you think about it.

Just how an adaptation of Ibsen’s classic, still has relevance today, a play about the way women are still expected to play a certain role in society and are forced to dilute their dreams and aspirations or abandon them altogether.

Stef Smith’s engaging and thought provoking adaptation makes us question just how much has changed for women in our society by flitting between 1918, when women of a certain age were first allowed to vote, 1968 and 2018.

This piece works quite brilliantly because it reminds us how far we’ve progressed and how far we still have to go before full gender equality is achieved.

While this may sound like heavy going, it’s not. While this play is sure to fuel a debate or two over a post performance drink it certainly isn’t an evening of man bashing even though Thomas, the husband figure played by William Ash, is incurably condescending.

His control over Nora/Christine reduces over time and you’re sure to find yourself rooting for her as she thinks about fleeing her domestic prison.

In this adaptation the role of Nora is shared between three very different actresses. Different in the sense they Yusra Warsama, Jodie McNee and Kirsty Rider bring something very different to the part.

This is very thought provoking, intelligent theatre that remains true to the spirit of a play that’s more than a century old and director Bryony Shanahan and a gifted and close knit cast ensure not a single word of Stef Smith’s dialogue is wasted.

Highly recommended - theatre with a brain and a heart.

Until April 2. Star rating - ****

Tickets are available from www.royalexchange.co.uk.

Photo - Helen Murray