Tanika Gupta's adaptation of Ibsen's Hedda Gabler has been transposed to a world where old Hollywood glamour and racial tensions intersect. Set in London, 1948, the play stars Pearl Chanda as Hedda, a film star with an Anglo-Indian heritage who is forced to confront her dual identity when her past comes back to haunt her.
Hedda's carefully constructed facade is threatened by Lenny, her former flame (played by Jake Mann), who tries to expose her secrets. However, Hedda's husband George (Joe Bannister) and others around her seem oblivious to the depth of their emotions, rendering them more like caricatures than fully fleshed-out characters.
Gupta's adaptation shines in its portrayal of institutionalized racism in post-war England, where casual slurs are met with polite indifference. The relationships between characters, particularly Hedda and Shona (Rina Fatania), her Indian maid, are fraught with tension due to their racial differences.
Despite the intriguing premise, Gupta's play falters in building tension and conveying emotions effectively. Characters' actions feel forced, and their internal struggles lack urgency, resulting in a somewhat flat emotional impact.
Director Hettie Macdonald brings a clear vision to the production, but it seems that the pacing and character development could be tightened up for a more engaging viewing experience. Nevertheless, this adaptation is a solid reimagining of Ibsen's classic, shedding new light on Hedda's story in a timely and thought-provoking way.
The play runs at The Orange Tree theatre until 22nd November.
Hedda's carefully constructed facade is threatened by Lenny, her former flame (played by Jake Mann), who tries to expose her secrets. However, Hedda's husband George (Joe Bannister) and others around her seem oblivious to the depth of their emotions, rendering them more like caricatures than fully fleshed-out characters.
Gupta's adaptation shines in its portrayal of institutionalized racism in post-war England, where casual slurs are met with polite indifference. The relationships between characters, particularly Hedda and Shona (Rina Fatania), her Indian maid, are fraught with tension due to their racial differences.
Despite the intriguing premise, Gupta's play falters in building tension and conveying emotions effectively. Characters' actions feel forced, and their internal struggles lack urgency, resulting in a somewhat flat emotional impact.
Director Hettie Macdonald brings a clear vision to the production, but it seems that the pacing and character development could be tightened up for a more engaging viewing experience. Nevertheless, this adaptation is a solid reimagining of Ibsen's classic, shedding new light on Hedda's story in a timely and thought-provoking way.
The play runs at The Orange Tree theatre until 22nd November.
I mean, its like, Tanika Gupta tries to tackle some really deep issues with this adaptation of Hedda Gabler, but for me it feels like she's not quite hitting the mark... 
The way she portrays institutionalized racism in post-war England is super important and timely, but it feels like its just kinda glossed over a bit. And I'm not sure about the pacing, feels a bit slow for my taste 
. But at the same time, I think it's great that Gupta is shedding new light on Hedda's story and exploring her dual identity in such a thought-provoking way 
. Its just maybe needs a bit more work to really make it pop... 
And I get why they did it, to show how institutionalized racism was back then, but sometimes it feels like they're just tacking it on. I mean, can't we just feel the tension without having to spell it out? 
Anyway, it's still an interesting take on Hedda's story and I think Hettie Macdonald did a great job with the direction... but yeah, maybe tighten up that pacing and character development a bit more.
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. Still, director Hettie Macdonald brought a clear vision, and it was cool seeing how the production explored themes that are still super relevant today 
. I think it's a solid reimagining of the classic - not perfect, but definitely worth checking out if you're interested in theatre 
It sounds like she's really pushing the boundaries with this one, exploring themes of identity, racism, and power dynamics in post-war England - it's like, totally relatable in today's world 
. But, I gotta agree, it does sound like the pacing could be tightened up a bit... I mean, who doesn't love a good slow burn? 
Still, I'd def check this out just for the thought-provoking aspects alone! 
. And yeah, I agree with you about Shona being more than just an Indian maid - she deserves more screen time and agency! 
Still, I'm gonna check out this production at The Orange Tree theatre to see if it's worth my time 
I just watched the trailer for Tanika Gupta's adaptation of Hedda Gabler and I'm HOOKED! I mean, who wouldn't want to see a period drama with old Hollywood glamour and racial tensions? 
It looks so juicy! The casting is on point too - Pearl Chanda as Hedda is giving me LIFE 
. But I'm kinda curious about how they're gonna tackle the racism stuff... it's been done before, but I guess you can never have too much of a good thing? 
, this adaptation sounds like a wild ride! I love how Tanika Gupta is tackling the complexities of identity and racism in post-war England, it's so relevant to what's going on today 
. The casting of an Indian maid as Hedda's confidant is genius btw, Shona's character should get more love 
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! It's so interesting to see how Tanika Gupta has woven together old Hollywood glamour with racial tensions in post-war London 
. I mean, who doesn't love a story about a film star trying to navigate her dual identity? But what really caught my attention was the way Gupta tackled institutionalized racism – it's such an important topic and so often overlooked 
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we used to love a good drama, and Ibsen's classic is still one of the greatest, but this version just didn't quite hit the mark... The idea of old Hollywood glamour and racial tensions intersecting was so intriguing, but it felt like it got lost in execution. I mean, Pearl Chanda as Hedda was amazing, don't get me wrong! 
. But, TBH, the tension feels kinda forced 
. But hey, at least it's trying to tackle some important themes 
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. Worth a watch if you're into period dramas and all that jazz