Mabou Mines “DollHouse”

Caught DollHouse by Mabou Mines at Drama Centre last night as part the Arts Fest programme. It was the 1st night of the play, and who else but Goh Chok Tong and his wife graced the event.

Anyway, it was a rather interesting show set in a playhouse-like dollhouse with tall, full-sized women and short men (3’4” to 4’5”). The wife, Nora is a submissive, child-like character to her husband Torvald, who treats her like a pet; she is like a pretty doll/puppet to him. Something happens, or rather something she did came back to her which would “disgrace” him, but eventually, it was resolved, except that she realises that it was time to break free. At that point, one realises the significance of the setting.

The grandest scene was the end where there was a whole backdrop of puppets as the husband & wife sings (opera-style), where she says she’s leaving him & the reasons, while he tries to salvage their relationship. The puppets imitated their mannerism during this “dialogue”. Eventually, the big finale came with her stripping off her clothes & wig (she was bald!), like stripping off her doll image.

I would say it was a serious comedy as there were many funny parts and exaggerations.