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A Doll's House- Period Set and Costume
Playwright
Henrik Ibsen- Amy Herzog Adaptation
Model
VCA Studio 4
1:25
Medium
Gouache, coloured pencil, and dry pastel
The world is a visual metaphor for Nora’s psychological prison. It consists of two realities. Her home- a small island of bourgeois domesticity, amidst a foreboding, expansive Norwegian forest. The Victorian décor is a symbol of the fantasy Nora clings to, forming her performance space for most of the play. It evokes the confines of tradition, propriety, and the gendered expectations of the time- expectations Nora has internalised. Illuminated by the warm reassuring glow of a kerosene lamp, these furnishings are her fragile refuge from the forest- from the vast, unpredictable reality of the world beyond Nora's carefully constructed life. The forest in this world is not real- but a symbol, a manifestation of Nora’s fear of the truth.
The language of the costume consists of shiny, climate-appropriate materials in dark and cool colours. There is a chiaroscuro-like interaction with the light and fabric, creating a contrast that reflects the drama of Nora’s intense emotions and relationships. The darkness of the palette also allows characters to slink into and appear from the dark forest, heightening the startling threat of their arrival.
