Hedda Gabler | Theatre Review

Just married. Bored already. Hedda longs to be free..

I was nervous I wouldn't be smart or cultured enough to enjoy Hedda Gabler, thinking the play would be way above my realm of understanding. But still I think it is important to widen your horizons and challenge yourself. There is a lot to take from Hedda, on various different levels.

Firstly it is funnier than you expect it to be. Potentially humour isn't the first thing you relate to Ibsen. You do find yourself a multiple moments laughing, however you do question whether you should be laughing. As an audience you are essentially watching a woman who feels so trapped by her expectations of marriage, her husband's expectations and societies expectation of what a woman should be, that she can no longer continue to live.

From a feminist point of view, I'd say Hedda is ahead of her time struggling to conform to the expectation a married woman's place is in the home, and is powerless. Throughout she grasps at any last bit of control she has in her life, by manipulating everyone around her. Being proved that she isn't in control after all. Considering Hedda Gabler was written by a man in the 1890's it is an excellent feminist play.

The National Theatre's production left me completely awestruck. Hedda was masterfully played by the cover Cate Cammack on the night I went. I highly recommend, it was a really refreshing production on the UK theatre touring circuit.

Thanks for popping by,

xxx