A sensitive Hedda Gabler

Katona József Theatre from Budapest has created an emotionally intense modernization of Ibsen's classic, which shows Hedda's feeling of emptiness and loss of control. 

Hedda Gabler is a play by Henrik Ibsen published in 1890 and first performed in Berlin in 1891. The play is about control, freedom and how one can feel oppressed. The Katona József Theatre from Budapest presents this story in an emotionally intense way with some modernizations during the Ibsen Festival at the National Theatre in Oslo. 

On stage we see some furniture in a room, this is the home of Hedda and Jørgen Tesman. The furniture is a sofa, a chair, and a chair in front of a record player. The walls are made of wood, and on one side there is a cupboard. The way they have set up the room creates a feeling of emptiness. There are few things, the room has room for more, and it is experienced as a reflection of Hedda's feelings. There are things there, but there is a feeling of emptiness, that something is missing. Still, it is difficult to point out what was missing in the room. 

About control and emotions

There are some modernizations in the play. Early in the play, Hedda's husband, Jørgen, arrives with a laptop. Later in the play, Hedda uses a shredder when she destroys Ejlert Løvborg's script. These are small things that help to put the play into today's world. That you can make these changes without changing the point of the play shows what it's really about: Control, freedom and the feeling of being oppressed. 

Throughout the play, there were characters who were not on stage, but were visible in the background. I thought it was an interesting choice, because it made you think about these people in the play, while focusing on what was happening in the scenes. 

Something that I saw throughout the play was how Adél Jordán (who plays Hedda Gabler) showed emotions through voice, body and facial expressions. It was clear to hear in her voice what Hedda was feeling, or that she was feeling several things. Body movements, gaze at the audience and voice gave a good picture of what emotions were in the picture. Hedda is a controlled person, who feels several things at the same time. When she laughs, it sounds like she is also crying. The other actors show emotions just as well, but it is interesting to compare how the different characters express themselves. If we compare Hedda with, for example, Ejlert (played by Béla Mészáros), we see that the body language he uses is more desperate. In the first scenes he is calm and withdrawn, as many are in a new social circle. Throughout the scenes we see how he becomes more desperate, and the actor uses large and rapid movements with a loud voice to show his desperation. Compared to Ejlert, Hedda is more controlled, and it seems like she makes her choices rationally compared to him.

Hedda is relevant today 

Hedda Gabler was written at a time when there were certain expectations for women: You should get married, stay home with children, etc. Today, there are different expectations for gender, and women have more rights. Having to stay at home is something that is now seen as being oppressed, and many organizations are working to ensure that women have more choices than that. But the feeling of being oppressed, and under the control of others, is still important. Not only in Hedda's scenario, but in many more. I feel that is why this play manages to be relevant today, just as it was 135 years ago.