By Christina Savopoulos

Amidst a never-ending lockdown in Victoria, Union House Theatre (UHT) has found every way possible to digitally unite the theatre community and foster creativity. I have attended two series of workshops on their upcoming production of Nora: A Doll’s House. Originally written by Henrik Ibsen, UHT’s selected adaptation of the play is a “radical new version” by theatre practitioner Stef Smith. Directors Xanthe Beesley (UHT’s Artist Director) and Liv Satchell are hoping to present their interpretation of the production sometime in 2022, restrictions permitting. While lockdown restrictions have delayed their production dates, Xanthe and Liv continue to run workshops to assist creatives, performers, and new theatre-goers in expanding their knowledge of Nora, general text analysis, and ways to approach theatre through design practices.

The first workshop, ‘Text Analysis Lab’, focused on breaking down Smith’s text. It was essentially a crash course in text analysis where everything from structure to the presentation of characters and symbols were analysed. The most fascinating aspect of the workshop was the emphasis placed on researching the social context of the text, how time and place influence understanding, and how the text may then be interpreted for performance. All participants were taught valuable practices to document our first impressions of the text.

UHT’s second workshop ‘Adapting Ibsen’ allowed returning and new participants to expand their knowledge of Nora and begin the process of creating their own piece of theatre by adapting an aspect of Smith’s play. Xanthe and Liv structured this series; opening with an outline of what it means to adapt a text. They provided movement and textual methods to begin the process of expanding an aspect of Nora. It was incredible how everyone’s individual interpretation of the same text allowed them to create rich and thought-provoking ideas and pieces of theatre. The structure of the workshop allowed everyone to build and refine their work based on feedback they received.

‘Adapting Ibsen’ included the involvement of UHT Nora designers: Claudia Mirabello (Set Designer), Richard Vabre (Lighting Designer) and Connor Ross (Sound Designer). They all gave insightful tips and methods for beginning the process of creating a new production. All involved in the workshop were incredibly grateful for their support and guidance in considering design elements in theatre development. All feedback at the end of the workshop was positive and glowing.

Each week I have been consistently blown away by the talent and passion of those participating in the workshop. I have learnt so much in such a short space of time and feel grateful to have participated in the workshop and I am incredibly thankful to Xanthe and Liv for creating them. Xanthe and Liv effortlessly created a welcoming digital space. Their encouragement to share ideas, ponder about theatre designs, and develop creatively and personally, is inspiring.

Keep an eye on UHT’s Followspot for future workshops.