ACT ONE

The home of Nora and Torvald Helmer. A living space. A baby grand piano dominates. ANNA, a nanny, is playing the piano. Something that starts simple but she gets increasingly lost in. A shout from offstage interrupts her reverie.

NORA (offstage). Anna! Anna!

ANNAstops playing and jumps up. NORAenters, struggling with several neatly wrapped parcels.

Didn’t you hear me shouting?

ANNA. Sorry.

NORA. Scrabbling at my own door.

ANNA. Let me take those.

NORA. There’s a tree downstairs.

ANNA. I’m sorry?

NORA. A Christmas tree – the man wouldn’t carry it any further than the lobby.

ANNA. Oh.

NORA (irritated she has to ask). So will you go and bring it in?

ANNA. Yes, ma’am.

NORA. But hide it away somewhere – the children aren’t to see it until tonight, not until it’s decorated.

ANNA. Of course.

NORA. What were you teaching them?

ANNA. I wasn’t – I was just playing for myself, sorry.

NORA. Oh.

ANNA. They’re in the nursery – I only left them for a minute. They’re excited to see you.

NORA. Yes, yes. I’ll go through to them, as soon as I’ve caught my breath.

NORAtakes a paper bag from the top of her stack of parcels and pops a macaron from it into her