HEDDA (Bristol Old Vic)****

 

By Dave

Link: https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/hedda from £10

Available until: Further livestreams on Thursday at 2.30pm and Thursday and Friday at 7.30pm

Content warnings: Loud noises and themes of suicide. Recommended 15+

Hedda is a modern retelling of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler which is performed by members of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Lucy Kirkwood’s script has the same basic idea of Hedda being trapped in an unwanted marriage and wanting to do something to stop herself from going crazy with boredom.

The performances are great but the story is so much of its time, it was difficult to see the story as taking place in the present day. I think almost the only things which placed it unquestionably in the last eighteen months were Tessa Wong’s ‘cleaning lady’, as she is called in the programme, singing the song ‘Juice’ by Lizzo which was released in January 2019 and a very obvious (and very amusing) reference to a certain politician we all know.

A lot of the problem is that women like Hedda aren’t really part of today’s society.  In 1891, when Ibsen’s play was first performed, it was normal for a woman to marry a husband for money or social status. But in the 21^st century, women have a lot more freedom and opportunities. Women – and men – still marry for money but it’s not so acceptable and people like Hedda would be far more likely to set their sights on a popstar or a professional footballer than an academic like Hedda’s husband George. If they find they’re bored or that the financial situation isn’t quite what they thought it was, they would be expected to get a job. Getting a job is not only merely ‘acceptable’ for women in modern society, it is expected that everyone works, and anyone who doesn’t can be seen as being socially inferior.

I did think of one possible explanation for Hedda’s unemployment. Ibsen’s Hedda has often been described as ‘neurotic’ and in both versions of the story, she shows signs of possible mental health problems, maybe even an illness like a personality disorder (not to say that everyone with a personality disorder is like Hedda. Not at all!). If Hedda does have a disability, she could be signed off work. The possibility of mental illness isn’t directly addressed but even now there’s a bit of a taboo around it. It could also explain her inflated idea of her own importance, her unrealistic view of life and her erratic and manipulative behaviour. It’s more a compulsion than a decision.

So the modern update does work… sort of. But although it might explain Hedda’s unusual outlook on life, it doesn’t really explain the behaviour of some of the other characters. Eli (Ejlert Lovoborg in the original) writes a manuscript but doesn’t keep copies. There are people who won’t back up their work and only have it stored on one device but it does seem surprising that a young man in the 21^st century would have nothing saved on a device and that he wouldn’t at any point have emailed it to Thea, who worked on the document with him. Hedda’s sister in law Julia (George’s aunt in the original) is eager about the possibility of becoming an aunt in the manner someone who’s resigned to never having children (there are all kinds of ways these days – it’s not easy but it seems much too soon for Julia to give up), rather than the more modern excitement of someone who loves babies.

There are people in today’s society who prefer the old ways of doing things – and I don’t have a problem with that, technology drives me mad sometimes! – but there do seem to be a surprising number of people stuck in the past in Hedda.

The updated play has some great characters, great lines and a lot of humour which suits the rather dark story surprisingly well. It was really just the 21^st century setting that was a problem. It felt more like mid to late 20^th century where working women were still a bit of a new thing and nobody had computers.

The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School cast are all excellent. Some characters were a lot younger than you’d expect in the original Hedda Gabler, but Hedda is a slightly different story and it made sense that this social group (I don’t think ‘friends’ is quite the right word) are a similar age.

Emma Hadley-Leonard is impressive as Hedda. She’s wonderful at saying all the right things with just the hint of a sneer. When she is outwardly rude, she does it with style. Her Hedda isn’t likeable but she’s someone you want to keep watching and she does become a more sympathetic character by the end.

Charlie Hall isn’t such a striking presence as Hedda’s husband George but he’s not supposed to be. He’s convincing as an intelligent academic and he doesn’t fall into the cliché of geekiness. Michael Drake’s Toby can be difficult to pin down as a character but that’s exactly how some people can be like in real life and he has some great lines which are faultlessly delivered. Issam Al Ghussain’s Eli is one of the more sympathetic characters in the play, not because he’s particularly likeable but because he’s so unable to control his life and his emotions and so vulnerable to being manipulated by people like Hedda. As Thea, Dumile Sibanda seems sweet, shy and helpless but really not as stupid as a lot of people think.

Even if the update isn’t entirely successful, it’s an enjoyable play with some great characters and very good performers.  Definitely worth a watch.