“I Am Not Nora”: Kirsten Shepherd

What if one of theatre’s most famous female characters was inspired by a real woman whose own voice was subsequently pushed into the margins?

In this episode, we’re joined by Kirsten Shepherd, Professor of English and Theatre Studies at the University of Oxford and leading Ibsen scholar, to uncover the remarkable story of Laura Kieler – the writer and friend of Henrik Ibsen whose personal experiences were transformed into the story of Nora in A Doll’s House, without her knowledge or permission.

Kirsten’s research lies at the heart of Breach Theatre’s new production Burning Down the House, which brings Laura out of the footnotes and places her centre stage. We discuss Ibsen’s complicated legacy, the ethics of turning real lives into art, the silencing of women in literary history, and whether knowing Laura’s story changes the way we view A Doll’s House today.

We also discover how Laura attempted to reclaim her own narrative through Men of Honour, the play she wrote in response to Ibsen’s actions, now being presented in English for the first time.

A fascinating conversation about authorship, appropriation, feminism and who gets to tell our stories – and what happens when the person whose story has been taken finally gets to speak.