I“I think I’m a human being before anything else.” So says Nora helmerHelmer in A Doll’s houseHouse, a play that scandalised audiences when it premiered in 1879 withwith its take on marriage and motherhood when it premiered in 1879. More than 100 years after herhis death, Henrik ibsenIbsen (1828-1906) continues to be one of the worldsworld’s most performed dramatistdramatists. For Hattie Morahan, who plays athe role of Nora , it is a chance to revisit a character she first encountered in the classroom. We“We did the play at school ( many years back ). I’d seen a couple of versions, but that was with an 18-year-old’s head on–on — so now I’m coming to it with a bit more life experience.” This wait seems to have been worth it because MorahansMorahan’s performance is greatly acclaimed by the critic of The Guardian, who remarked that it is “ a bravura performance that elevates Morahan to the front rank of britishBritish actors.”. Nora’s life seems ideal, with three children, an elegant home, and an adoring husband, Torvald. But Nora has taken out a secret loan to helpinghelp her husband recover from an illillness, and when the truth emerges, the fault lines in their marriedmarriage crack wide open.“ It’s“It’s a painful portrayal of two people who have fallen into a dishonest dynamic,” says Morahan.“ After“After nine years of marriage they have a crisis, and I think that will always remain very pertinent and uncomfortable for the audiences.” What still startles modern audiences is the play’s apparently feminist messaging. Morahan has had some advice on how to tackle the role of Nora from her mother, Juliet Bravo actress Anna Carteret, who played Nora in the 1980s.“ She“She told me to enjoy all the different facets of Nora’s personality,” Morahan says, “ And“and honour the fact that she’s mercurial and is capable of being 10 different things to 10 different people.”