Hedda Gabler at The Bridewell Theatre

Just married. Buried alive. Hedda longs to be free.

Widely considered a cornerstone of modern theatre, Hedda Gabler is a canonised masterpiece of the 19th century, played across stages globally and storming Broadway more than 20 times.

Hedda is stifled in a world of sterile perfection and suffocating expectations, but beneath the surface, she is a powder keg of desire and defiance. When an old flame resurfaces with everything she’s been denied - passion, purpose, power - Hedda spirals into a game of seduction and sabotage.

In this retelling, Henrik Ibsen's work has been channelled through the mind of Patrick Marber. Gone are the ruffs, corsets and bluster - in this gladiatorial reimagining, we are left with nothing but seven actors on a stage. But not everyone will come out alive.

This pressure-cooker story is about the illusion of freedom, the battle for social superiority, and the unbearable burden of losing control.

Authors

• Brian Friel
• Christopher Hampton
• Henrik Ibsen