Githa Sowerby

This edition of one of the Western canon’s most iconic plays brings back into print the pivotal 1890 translation by William Archer. It was this translation that was largely responsible for the huge impact that A Doll’s House had in the English-speaking world, igniting as it did, in the words of one critic, “a firestorm of critical debate and dissent” about marriage and women’s rights. Accompanying the comprehensively annotated text of the play is a substantial introduction that combines critical analysis with biographical and historical context.

An extensive series of appendices provides extracts from contemporary adaptations of A Doll’s House; writings by William Archer and Bernard Shaw about the play; reviews of early productions in London, New York, Montreal, and Sydney; contemporary documents relating to Ibsen and feminism; and views of actresses on playing the role of Nora.