Ibsen's 1879 play shocked its first audiences with its radical insights into the social roles of husband and wife. His portrayal of the caged 'songbird' in his flawed heroine Nora remains one of the most striking dramatic depictions of the late 19th century woman.

This revised edition contains introductory commentary and notes by Sophie Duncan, which offer a contemporary lens on the play's gender politics and consider seminal productions of the play into the 21st century.

METHUEN DRAMA STUDENT EDITIONS are expertly annotated texts of a wide range of plays from the modern and classic repertoires. A well as the complete text of the play itself, this volume contains:

· A chronology of the play and the playwright's life and work
· an introductory discussion of the social, political, cultural and economic context in which the play was originally conceived and created
· a succinct overview of the creation processes followed and subsequent performance history of the piece
· an analysis of, and commentary on, some of the major themes and specific issues addressed by the text
· a bibliography of suggested primary and secondary materials for further study.

Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) was a Norwegian playwright and poet whose realistic, symbolic and often controversial plays revolutionised European theatre. He is widely regarded as the father of modern drama. His acclaimed plays include A Doll's House, Ghosts, Hedda Gabler, An Enemy of the People and The Pillars of the Community.

Sophie Duncan is a Fellow of Christ Church, University of Oxford. She received her DPhil from Brasenose College, Oxford, where she was Senior Hulme Scholar, in 2013. She then became Stipendiary Lecturer at St Catherine's and Supernumerary Fellow in English at Harris Manchester College, before returning to full-time research at Magdalen. She has been a guest lecturer at King's College London and the Bread Loaf School of English. In 2013, she became Editor of Victorian Network. Her research includes longstanding links with the world of professional theatre, and she works regularly as a historical advisor/dramaturg in theatre, television, radio and film. Her publications include Shakespeare's Women and the Fin de Siècle (Oxford University Press) and she has published on the African American actor Ira Aldridge, the bibliographical history of Oscar Wilde, and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897).

The introduction and commentary to the play covers:

Cultural and theatrical contexts
Themes
Dramatic devices
Performance history
Trends in scholarly and popular debate

“Ibsen's great feminist drama” —Daily Telegraph

“Many a husband reeled back in horror after the premiere of Ibsen's marriage-shaking play in 1879. The fellow was actually challenging the sacred values of family life by suggesting a woman could break free of the marital gilded cage. What next? They will want the vote.” —Daily Express

“Ibsen's drama is a powerful statement of his radical beliefs about gender, the folly of idealism and the nature of modern love. In essence, it is the story of woman who wakes up to reality.” —Evening Standard

“Ibsen caused a storm with the notion that women were as entitled as men to think and live for themselves.” —Jewish Chronicle