Lucas Hnath on writing A Doll’s House, Part 2:

I’ve always loved the play ( A Doll’s House), and I had seen it in many productions, and I mean, the first thing that came to me was the title.  As a joke, I told somebody I was going to write A Doll’s House, part 2 – something about the title made me giggle, and felt a little naughty.  It wasn't until I started writing it that I had to really get serious and get past the joke of the title and really consider what does it mean to revisit the story?

I think the thing that Ibsen kept coming back to in all of his plays is how are we not free and how could we be more free and is that really truly even possible? And he was a writer who seemed to yearn for people to be more free, to be less constricted by social norms, social judgment. So I think "A Doll's House" is part of his consideration of it. And one of the things he is thinking about in this play is the roles that men and women fall into playing or are forced to play. And so Nora's action at the end is to break out of a certain expectation.

The marriage between Nora and Helmer… they are two people who are stepping around each other. They don’t want to get into a fight. They want everything to just be nice and comfortable. And it’s all that avoiding of the difficult stuff, the anger, that seemed to me to be the real problem in their marriage. And so that created a mandate for the sequel: they need to have it out.

It’s interesting, in studying Ibsen, in studying how his plays are received in Norway, something that I often read, is that in Norway, people are laughing riotously at his plays. There’s  something about when you have incredibly high stakes, and people are being compelled to be honest, that creates a kind of comedy.  And I did think that contemporizing the language would make those moments of telling the truth a bit more immediate, and therefore funny.

Thoughts on LUNGs from Duncan Macmillan: “(I wanted to ) write a play that was direct, clear, fast, fun, and most importantly, stylistically more pared-back. I wanted to write something for two really good actors where they could tell a story unmediated by props, scene changes, costume changes, mime, lighting or sound queues, just two bodies in space, letting the audience fill in the gaps. It seems appropriate somehow that the play is as “carbon-neutral” as possible. I also felt that the playfulness of the form would help to make some of the more troubling issues more palatable. I wanted the audience to feel as if they were eavesdropping on a very private conversation between two thoughtful, educated, middle-class people who are struggling to do the right thing. I wanted to write a play which was dramatically active but where the narrative isn’t compelled by unraveling a lie or a secret. For me, drama is about live decision making. There are no secrets, everything pours out of them, uncensored, impulsive, raw.

‘Excellent script, performances, design and direction.

I thought that Lungs would be an issue play. It is not. Lungs is a poignant and quirky love story, infused with mirth and satire...Sanda Shandu and Jazzara Jaslyn are magic......Bianca Amato as director superbly orchestrates and tempers the verbal duelling with the physical thrashing on the stage. I was entranced by the visceral energy between the performances and the excellent nuanced script. It is cerebral and sardonic, infused with comedy and warmth…....Lungs is a must-see…’

Robyn Cohen, The Cape Robyn. 

‘From the very first moment of this utterly charming two-hander I was disarmed, drawn in, seduced, enchanted and ultimately blown away… ..Fresh, funny, sharp, poignant…Jazzara Jaslyn is sublime...(a) masterclass in performance… Sanda Shandu is fantastic...And the magic between the two of them is palpable…Bianca Amato has done a superb job of directing this piece. She has managed to develop the pace and build of the story with great subtlety, and she has created a palette of deeply funny and incredibly moving moments…A complete gem of a theatrical experience..’

Megan Choritz, Weekend Special 

LUNGS at Theatre On The Bay is Like a Runaway Train You Want to Be On: ‘LUNGS  has been described as "off-kilter" and "brutally honest" - and that's exactly what you get with this production. It races forward at a gallop as the pair on stage move through their relationship. There's an element of a runaway train to the piece, but it's a train I want to be on…The chemistry between Sanda Shandu and Jazzara Jaslyn is tangible…LUNGS is definitely a show to watch!’

Faeron Wheeler,  Broadway World

CAPE TOWN: Baxter Theatre Centre, April 16th - May 10th 2025

JOHANNESBURG : Theatre On The Square, May 14th- June 2025

“ This is a production that doesn’t put a foot wrong. It is constantly entertaining while also being profoundly interesting and stimulating…

Amato’s performance is astounding…Butler is exceptional”

Bruce Dennill.

“A slick, sharp, intellectually breezy reminder that the struggle for hard-won freedoms is never over.”

“A riveting watch’ 

“Compelling”

The Daily Maverick.

“It’s a witty and wise piece of theatre….

Amato is astonishingly fine onstage.”

Robyn Sassen.

“Soufflé-light treatment of the substantial issues raised in Ibsen's original play makes its sequel, A DOLL’S HOUSE PART 2, theatre that is entertaining, elegant, and instructive”

“Bianca Amato shines as Nora, conveying diverse moods with the ease of a chameleon constantly changing habitat. Defiant, cajoling, assertive, apologetic - this ongoing shift calls for skilful direction from Barbara Rubin, and talented acting from Amato. Both prove equal to the challenge. In the role of Torvald, Zane Meas is a magisterial foil for his leading lady as his mobile face convincingly reflects a broad range of reactions to one disconcerting development after another.”

“Charlotte Butler is earthy and endearing as the long-suffering Anne Marie, countering the brittle poise of Simone Neethling in a chain of casting with no weak link.”

Scene It.

“Brilliant”

“Hnath's script is excellent. And this cast is wonderful too. It's an absolute tour de force by Bianca Amato as Nora, with the other three performers (Zane Meas as Torvald, Charlotte Butler as Anne Marie and Simone Neethling as Emmy) providing excellent foils in their characters.”

A must-see”

Broadway World.

“Sharp, smart, and surprisingly funny” 

“Whether or not you know Ibsen, Part 2 stands strong on its own as a punchy, provocative, and brilliantly acted performance. DON’T MISS IT.”

Babette Gallard.

“It is a mesmerising deep dive into the ties that bind, connect and separate us in marriage and family. A wry, shrewd play, spiked with laughs. Do not miss.”

The Cape Robyn.

“Director Barbara Rubin keeps the action punchy, allowing Amato to dominate with a feisty, fiery energy that is electrifying. She runs this show, and does it with spirit.”

“A Doll’s House, Part 2 is engaging, and it’s a clever premise”

Weekend Special.