Foremothers are not revered in the same forgiving light as forefathers, their idiosyncrasies celebrated, their warts and blemishes softened away. More often than we care to admit, women who trail-blaze are chewed up and spat out, their achievements and legacy in tatters. This is no paradox; that social change is fraught and at every stage resisted is precisely why it is so painfully incremental. 

Stef Smith’s reimagining of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House folds three distinct and different eras, all inscribed with the messy and imperfect battle for women’s fundamental equality, on top of each other – and on top of its parent text. Ibsen is credited with founding the ‘discussion play’ and Smith’s urgent, muscular adaptation gives us plenty to discuss, as well as the opportunity to offer an audience rich meta-textual provocations about plurality versus equality, how far we have come versus how far there is to go. It was a privilege realising this work with my WAAPA colleagues, our talented production and design students, and the graduating acting class of 2024.

Presented by WA Academy of Performing Arts; Movement Direction, Sam Chester; Accent & Dialect, Jean Goodwin; Set & Costume Design, Ella Firns; Lighting Design, Jakob Dorst; Sound Design: David Stewart; Photography, Stephen Heath