Inspired by the life of Suzannah Thoreson, who was married to playwright Henrik Ibsen, Jon Fosse’s Suzannah offers a fictional portrait of a woman at three stages of life, presented simultaneously. The opening-night production at Stratford’s Here for Now Theatre places female memory, identity and influence in the intimate St. Andrew Street Rose McQueen Theatre, where three performers give the work a focused, closely observed treatment.
Fosse’s script, in a detailed translation by Dr. May-Brit Akerholt, is built around meticulous internal monologues delivered by Rosemary Dunsmore as the Old Suzannah, Maev Beaty as the Middle-Aged Suzannah, and Brianna Rodrigues as the Young Suzannah. Each initially addresses the audience directly. Once all three women are on stage, the monologues gradually shift into conversation, with the performers moving fluidly between the present moment and recollections of the past.
Director Peter Hinton-Davis gives the production a precise, deliberate rhythm. The staging often has the quality of a carefully plotted chess game, with movement, silence and phrasing used to clarify the women’s shifting relationships to memory and to one another. Hinton-Davis’s director’s note also provides useful context about Ibsen, Suzannah and the historical frame surrounding the play.
The design by Christina Poddubiuk and lighting by Louise Guinand create an intoxicating, shadowed, candlelit dining room, with a table set for celebration. Over the course of the production, the setting takes on several meanings: the Older Suzannah awaits Henrik and their son Sigurd for her birthday, the Middle-Aged Suzannah recalls a birthday for the young Sigurd, and the Younger Suzannah anticipates the arrival of an older man at the table. The black dresses worn by the three women suit the period and suggest mourning, an apt visual choice for characters repeatedly returning to experiences they have not fully laid to rest. Gerry Altenburg’s wigs and hairdressing help distinguish the three ages of Suzannah without overstating the effect.
The production is anchored by the performances of Dunsmore, Beaty and Rodrigues.
Together, they present women living in the shadow of a major artistic figure while asserting their own intelligence and individuality. The performances are controlled rather than demonstrative, allowing emotional intensity to emerge through restraint, clarity and careful attention to Fosse’s intricate and poetic language. The result is a compact production that lingers beyond its brief running time.
Here for Now Artistic Director Fiona Mongillo describes Fosse’s writing as quiet work that becomes increasingly evocative; the production reflects that assessment through its steady accumulation of detail.
Suzannah is likely to prompt discussion after the performance, particularly around the relationship between artistic legacy and the private lives that sustain it.
For audiences receptive to spare, reflective theatre, this Canadian premiere offers a thoughtful and finely acted encounter with three theatre performers at the top of their game.
Running time: approximately 70 minutes with no interval/intermission.
The production runs to August 30 at Stratford’s Here For Now Theatre, 24 St. Andrew Street. For tickets: herefornowtheatre.com or call (519) 272-4368.
HERE FOR NOW presents the Canadian Premiere
Suzannah by Jon Fosse
Director: Peter Hinton-Davis
Translator: Dr. May-Brit Akerholot
Designer: Christina Poddubiuk
Lighting Designer: Louise Guinand
Hair and Wig Dressing Creator: Gerry Altenburg
Stage Manager: Sam Snyders
Performers: Maev Beaty as The Middle-Aged Suzannah, Rosemary Dunsmore as the Old Suzannah, Brianna Rodrigues as the Young Suzannah
