'A Doll's House' at The Donmar Warehouse

Last night we went to see 'A Doll's House' at the Donmar Warehouse for what I later realised was it's last performance. It's a new version of Ibsen's classic by Zinnie Harris that updates it to Edwardian London and a political scenario. It featured Gillian Anderson in the lead role as Nora and Christopher Ecclestone as the politician on the way down as Nora's husband's star is ascending. Having two telly stars (X-Files and Dr Who) in the cast sort of dictates who's in the audience to a degree and last night there seemed to be an awful lot of young girls in the audience.

The play circles around how the face we present in public isn't necessarily what we're really like and the consequent fear of public exposure, particularly of past indiscretions, and the impact on personal and family lives. Nora's politician husband had a nervous breakdown and, to save him and his career, she took out a loan without him knowing to take him away to Italy for his recovery. Eight years later and the final payment of the loan is due within days when the man she loaned the money from, another politician, has been revealed as committing fraud, removed from the Cabinet and Nora's husband has been given his old job and government house to live in. The stage is set for intrigue, blackmail, soul searching and disaster, all this and its Christmas Eve too.

Gillian Anderson was excellent in the lead role of Nora and is on stage for the majority of the play. She had a nice mix of girlishness and coquettishness, a demure Edwardian lady who is aware of her sexual power over her husband and other men. She was cool, calm and dramatic by turn. Her journey of a loving, caring, if rather inconsequential, wife willing to take risks on behalf of her husband to becoming a more clear-sighted and more mature woman is believable in context although it's not an uplifting ending. No-one 'wins' in the end other than the minor characters who decide to go with their hearts and fade into the background and out of public life.

Christopher Eccleston was a bit disappointing - he acted the same role he always seems to play, a bit manic, a bit angry, a bit desperate - I vaguely recall him playing it like that in 'Our Friends In The North' as well as in 'Dr Who'. That might've been what his role in the play called for, but it felt a bit like acting by numbers. The other main character, Nora's husband played by Toby Stephens was a bit irritating, the way he shuffled his feet and couldn't stand still, almost sounding like he was tap-dancing. His flares of aggressive anger (obviously meant to remind us of his nervous breakdown eight years earlier) weren't particularly convincing either. As soon as he started talking and gesturing in the first act I couldn't help but think 'Blair'.

I enjoyed the play and the production. The set was very simple, a drawing room full of empty shelving, packing cases and trunks since the family had only just moved into the house. And, because it was Christmas Eve, an enormous Christmas tree. Unfortunately, the tree wasn't well dressed at all - my services are available to help with the tree for the next production of this play for a reasonable fee.

At the end, the front of the Donmar was mobbed and we had to go out of a side exit. I assume everyone was waiting for a final chance for autographs and photos with the stars. I wonder if it's been like every night of the play's run?