Nora (DE)
In the production by the Thalia Theater from 2003 Nora is a secret smoker instead of eating macaroons and it gives a credible contemporary image of a marriage.
Directed by Stephan Kimming / Thalia Theater
Ibsen’s Nora is the ideal wife, a twittering songbird to her husband and a sweet mother for her children. The idyll is being threatened when Nora is hunted up by the barrister Krogstad, who in his time lent her a considerable sum of money. Money she had to have to save her husband’s life, who at that time did not know that he was fatally ill. The documents were signed by Nora, but with a forged signature. Krogstad is vengeful because Helmer has dismissed him from the bank and he discloses Nora’s secret in a threatening letter to Helmer. Helmer is about to be appointed manager of the bank and fears that this may harm his reputation. When Nora sees that Helmer is occupied only with his own power, she sees that she has been naïve herself and that Helmer is a totally different man from the one she had known.
In Ostermeier’s production Nora and Helmer are a modern couple with problems that they see ”no point” in discussing any more. They have everything they could wish for, three wonderful children and his new job that pays better. But the day to day routine is not as dull and trivial as the couple may have wished for and there are cracks on the surface. What do we really know about the one we’re married to? How much do we want the other person to know about us? In the production by the Thalia Theater from 2003 Nora is a secret smoker instead of eating macaroons and it gives a credible contemporary image of a marriage. According to the director, Stephan Kimming, the alternative harmless ending, in which Nora stays with Helmer is more provocative to an audience today, when sacrificing onself is the biggest sacrifice.
Susanne Wolff received the Actor’s award for her interpretation of Nora at the Theatertreffen in Berlin 2003. She shared her award with the other German Nora to visit this year’s International Ibsen Stage Festival: Anne Tismer in Thomas Ostermaiers NORA from Berlin.
With: Torvald Helmer: Norman Hacker. Nora Helmer: Susanne Wolff. Christine Linde: Victoria Tauttmansdorff. Dr. Niels Rank: Christoph Bantzer. Lars Krogstad: Stephan Schad. Barna: Tim Lütje, Sascha Lütje, Tobias Hansen, Florian Hansen, Pia Rask, Lukas Rask.
Director: Stephan Kimming. Set design: Katja Haß. Costumes: Anja Rabes. Music: Wolfgang Siuda. Lighting: Matthias Vogel. Make-up: Julia Wilms. Dramaturge: Sonja Anders. Assistant director: Anette Pullen. Assistants to the designer: Julia Krenz. Julia Scholz. Wardrobe assistant: Justina Klimczyk. Music production: Hinnerk Gehrckens. Props: Thomas Börner. Stage manager: Guillermo Arrigone. Prompter: Antje Kreusch.