A Doll's House - (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

With a comfortable home, successful husband and two beautiful children, Nora Helmer is the envy of many. But her happy home is built on false foundations. As long-buried secrets begin to surface, Nora wonders if what she has is the same as what she wants.

Chris Bush's taut and gripping adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's classic play is a powerful exploration of friendship, betrayal, dependency and liberation. It premiered at the Crucible, Sheffield Theatres, in 2024, directed by Elin Schofield.

Review Quotes

'A riveting and resonant account of a classic... Bush's text is clean, clear and sharp, and only slightly modernised. Her adaptation honours its source without being stuck in a fusty, dusty past... Nora's journey to self-awareness is thrillingly charted. It culminates in a quietly devastating confrontation'

--The Times

'Lifts the lid on Ibsen's box of secrets... gives the story its full due, without adding bells and whistles... deeply moving'

--Guardian

'Taut and gripping... the final showdown is so tense that you can't tear your eyes away... Chris Bush's lightness of touch works well, the characters relatable, and there's plenty of humour here too... She also adds a special twist to the famous ending, which is quite chilling to watch... There's a reason this classic is staged so often - it's still relevant and relatable nearly 150 years on. This take on it should introduce Nora Helmer to a whole new generation'

--The Stage

'A compelling and sympathetic adaptation'

--WhatsOnStage

'A moving yet funny play that still feels completely relevant today'

--West End Best Friend

'Triumphant... relevant and empowering... it feels like the perfect time for this story to be told'

--Theatre & Tonic

About the Author

Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. His plays include: Brand, Peer Gynt, A Doll's House, Ghosts, An Enemy of the People, Hedda Gabler, Rosmersholm, The Master Builder, Little Eyolf, John Gabriel Borkman and When We Dead Awaken.

Chris Bush is a playwright, lyricist, and theatremaker. Her plays include: Otherland (Almeida Theatre, London, 2025); Robin Hood and the Christmas Heist, written with Matt Winkworth (Rose Theatre, Kingston, 2024); an adaptation of Ibsen's A Doll's House (Sheffield Theatres, 2024); Rock/Paper/Scissors (Sheffield Theatres, 2022); an adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, and New Vic, Newcastle-under-Lyme, 2022); Hungry (Paines Plough, 2021); Faustus: That Damned Woman (Headlong, Lyric Hammersmith and Birmingham Rep, 2020); The Last Noël (Old Fire Station, Oxford, 2019); Standing at the Sky's Edge, with music and lyrics by Richard Hawley (Sheffield Theatres, 2019, revived 2022 and at the National Theatre in 2023, West End 2024); The Changing Room (National Theatre Connections, 2018); Steel (Sheffield Theatres, 2018); and The Assassination of Katie Hopkins, written with Matt Winkworth (Theatr Clwyd, 2018).