From November 20 – 24, Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House will be popping up in the West End. [Foreign Affairs] strikes again, featuring the third segment of their Scandinavian Season, this time bringing pop-up theatre into the heart of London. ‘In a new English version’ by yours truly, Paul Russell Garrett.
[Foreign Affairs] approached me about this project last year and I was initially hesitant to take on the translation of such an important writer as Henrik Ibsen. However, I allowed myself to be convinced and began work on a literal translation of the play; it proved to be a massive undertaking. Regular meetings then began with the creative team of [Foreign Affairs]; important discussions on their goals and vision for the project. Out of this process, three criteria stood out as most important: they wanted this new version of A Doll’s House to stand out of time, to have a strong focus on the relationships between the characters and, although not an end in itself, to shorten the play’s typical three hour running time.Over the last few weeks I have had the privilege to sit in on some of the rehearsals, and I am thrilled with the outcome. [Foreign Affairs] has assembled a very talented group of actors for this production and it promises to be a tense and emotional journey.
