A Doll's House
On 22 February 2025, 2.30pm Almasi Collaborative Arts, in keeping with its commitment to dramatic literacy and exposing creatives to classical works, presented a staged reading of A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen at Reps Theatre Upstairs. Directed by Chelsy Maumbe, a frequent Almasi programs participant, the reading featured a mix of familiar Almasi artists and those new to our process.
This year's staged readings feature a new format, wherein the first two days of the process participants are taken through a play dramaturg workshop. For A Doll’s House; actors, playwrights, directors, and stage managers participated in a two-day dramatic literacy workshop led by our programs coordinator, Gideon Jeph Wabvuta. Using A Doll's House as a learning tool, Mr. Wabvuta led interactive sessions exploring dramatic writing elements, the play's world, history, the playwright's politics, themes, and its relevance to contemporary society. Participants then began rehearsals with Ms. Maumbe, culminating in a performance on the 22nd of February. The event finished with a sustained post-performance audience engagement.
About A Doll's House
A Doll's House is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having been published earlier that month. The play concerns itself with the fate of a married woman, who, at the time in Norway, lacked reasonable opportunities for self-fulfillment in a male-dominated world. The play explores themes of marriage, gender inequality, and the consequences of imposed social expectations on individual freedom.
The staged reading of A Doll’s House is part of the Almasi staged reading series.
Cast
Tarangarirwa Mugabe
Elvis Makomborero Chikiwa
Clive Jonga
Francis Nyakuhwa
Nokutenda Medzano
Nigel Chindungwe
Charlene Mangweni Furusa
Crew
Director - Chelsy Maumbe
Production Manager - Prudence Kalipinde
Assistant Stage Manager - Precious Chikuruwo
Photographer - Jon Pilch
Videographer - Cuthbert Lazaro
Publicity Specialist - Sindiso Dube
Operations Manager - Kudakwashe Kanembirira
Programs Coordinator - Gideon Jeph Wabvuta
Almasi Coordinator - Melissa Mbazo
Associate Artistic Director - Zaza Muchemwa
Executive Artistic Director - Danai Gurira
Audience Reception
‘Amazing, cool and lovely’
-Tanunurwa
‘A well-structured play. So captivating and well thought out. Talented readers.’
-Yeukai M
‘Very exciting and educating, especially for me who wants to take the acting career path.’
-Graem Gondo
‘Perfect. Well-rehearsed. Very interesting choice.’
-Tiffany
‘Absolutely excellent! Entertaining! Thought provoking!’
-Maria Zulu
‘It was a great reading. Wonderfully executed. Special mention to Nora.’
-Aobel K. Nyanzira
‘Wonderful experience. The cast was wonderful.’
-Nzwananai Mhene
Note from the Director
Breaking Open A Doll’s House: My Journey Directing the Almasi Staged Reading
By Chelsy G Maumbe
“One of the greatest joys of this process was witnessing the actors make unexpected choices. ”
When I set out to direct a staged reading of A Doll’s House, I thought I knew what to expect—after all, this is one of the most analysed plays in theatre history. But stripping it down to just the words, the actors, and an audience willing to listen was an experience that deepened my appreciation for Ibsen’s genius and left me with moments I won’t soon forget.
Without elaborate sets, costumes, or full blocking, the power of the play had to come from the text itself. Every pause, every shift in tone, every moment of subtext became magnified. I found myself challenged to bring out the truth of the play without relying on spectacle. Early on in rehearsals, I told my cast, “Your voice is the spectacle. If we cannot get a blind man to appreciate the story after the reading, then we haven’t done the work justice.” Watching the actors embrace this idea was fascinating. Without visual distractions, they leaned into cadence, rhythm, and breath, using the absence of sight to heighten the storytelling.
One of the greatest joys of this process was witnessing the actors make unexpected choices. Elvis Chikiwa, playing Torvald, initially approached him as a charming, confident husband. But as we dug deeper, he leaned into Torvald’s fragility—his need to control Nora stemming from deep insecurities. It made him less of a villain and more of a man desperately clinging to an illusion.
Mrs. Linde’s role, often overshadowed by the explosive Nora-Torvald dynamic, became a revelation in rehearsals. The talented Charlene Mangweni Furusa brought such quiet strength to the character that, by the end, we found ourselves debating whether Mrs. Linde was, in fact, the true catalyst of the play.
And then there was Nora, performed by the budding Tarangarirwa Mugabe. I had expected the final scene to be delivered with fiery defiance, but our Nora found something different—an eerie calm. In our last rehearsal, she read her closing lines with such quiet certainty that it sent shivers down my spine. It was the sound of a woman who had already left before she even walked out the door. And to have discovered this depth in a young actress fresh out of high school reminded me why I always jump at the opportunity to direct an Almasi stage-reading—the learning never ends, and there is always something, or someone new, waiting to be explored.
Directing this staged reading reaffirmed why A Doll’s House endures. It’s not just about a woman walking out the door—it’s about the facades we build, the roles we accept, and the terrifying, exhilarating moment when we decide to reclaim ourselves.
Would I do it again? Absolutely. Because every time this play is performed, we get another chance to ask: Have things really changed?