Ibsen’s brilliant masterpiece on the conflict of the requirements of society and those of the individual explores the corrosive descent of Hedda Gabler into the treacherous void between expectation and reality. The general’s daughter has married the respectable academic Tesman - a husband she despises as mediocre – and now, more...
driven by fear and loathing, Hedda’s despair goads her independent spirit to a rage expressed in the wilful contamination of life around her which eventually leads to disaster for her and all those beguiled by her.
Hedda Gabler was first published by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in 1890. The central protagonist Hedda is often cited as one of the great dramatic roles in theatre. The play premiered in 1891 in Germany and since then has gained recognition as a classic of realism in nineteenth century drama.
This version of the Ibsen classic is adapted by Brian Friel.