Nora, or How to Compost the Mansion

Venue: Chamber - Henrik Ibsen wrote Nora or Ein Puppenheim in 1879 as the emancipation story of the eponymous protagonist, who decides to leave her husband and children in order to free herself from her unfortunate life situation. The work has been negotiated, rewritten and overwritten countless times.

Nora or How to Compost the Mansion, however, is not just another overriding of the modern classic. For the first time, the focus is not on Nora, but on the story of the house — and that of its inhabitants: of Helene, the maid, the parcel carrier who waits for this one appearance, and of Anne-Marie, the nanny, who gave up her own life to work for Nora and raise her children. They all occupy this house and the rooms of these stories.

Sivan Ben Yishai, award-winning author and one of the most exciting voices in contemporary theatre, focuses on the invisible protagonists of the Ibsen classic. She dismantles Nora Helmer's mistress house, examines the crumbling construct and questions fundamental questions: Is it possible to bury the recurring narratives? Can you escape from your life story? And plant new stories?

In 2024, her text was awarded the Mülheim Dramatic Prize.