Avant-garde theatre company Mabou Mines took the 2007 Edinburgh Festival by storm with their comedic take on Ibsen’s bourgeois tragedy. Adept at using fresh perspectives to re-explore classical theatrical works,director Lee Breuer creates a production which retains the political bite of the original, which saw Ibsen as one of the first champions of women’s emancipation.

Casting six-foot actresses opposite four-foot men, Breuer physicalises Ibsen’s point about the absurdity of men’s domination over women, freshening up the 19th century play in a surreal re-interpretation. Set inside an oversized doll house, the production tells the story of Nora, a seemingly typical housewife who struggles to break free from a stifling marriage to her condescending husband Torvald, believing that instead she can achieve financial and physical independence.

Accompanied by Eve Beglarian’s score – a collage of Edvard Grieg’s Piano Works – Mabou Mine’s Dollhouse features an award-winning performance from Maude Mitchell as Nora, who brings depth to an intriguing take on Ibsen’s controversial work.