“I am mortally bored to be everlastingly in the company of one and
the same person.”
Hedda Gabler, the belle within her social
standing, has just returned from her
honeymoon with her new husband George Tesman, a colourless and forever tedious
lecturer, to their new ostentatious villa given to them (under great sufferance)
by Hedda’s aunt.
Upon their return from their overseas honeymoon and
Tesman’s research trip, they receive many visitors to congratulate their union. Tesman’s Aunt Juliane brings news that his Aunt
Rina is on her death bed. Mrs Thea
Elvsted secretly ruminates her love for her children’s tutor Ejlert Lovborg,
whom has just written a book to rival Tesman’s lifelong work and has the chance
at ruining his career.
Throughout all of these untimely visitors, Hedda
is cruel and callous to those who deign to become her friends. She is deliberately and viciously rude to
Tesman’s Aunt. She conspires to move Thea
and Lovborg together, only to rip them apart again by giving Lovborg the ‘ammunition’
to destroy himself. She destroys the only
manuscript of Lovborg’s book and treats their housemaid with disdain and condescension.
All to what gain? There are many reasons, the main one possibly is for Hedda's own personal gratification.
In 2004, Sydney Theatre Company produced Hedda Gabler with Cate Blanchett at the helm with Hugo Weaving as Judge Black. This traditional setting directed by Andrew Upton was probably one and the last that we have seen with Ibsen 1800s traditionalist costumes and set.
This year, Australia's most revered playwright Joanna Murray-Smith took it upon herself to reinvent this classic for the South Australian stage. When I say 'reinventing' I don't mean in a 'Simon Stone-kind-of-way' (not that there is anything wrong with that!! I adore his adaptations); Murray-Smith stayed true to the plot line and importance of the main character and Ibsen's classic writings for strong female characters. She updated the script within a modern framework, whilst keeping the tradition of Ibsen's work alive, and added a few tongue-in-cheek references to liven up the script and bring it bouncing into 2013.
Taking the title role of Hedda was Alison Bell, best known for her work in ABC's series Laid and for Sydney Theatre Companies performance of Doubt.
Director Geordie Brookman opted for a non traditional set for his production making the text and it's translation speak entirely for itself. Again, the costumes were minimalistic allowing the actors portray at the characters all the more important because they didn't have the stereotypical 1800s costumes to hide behind to help viscerally adopt the seriousness of the content.
Ben Brooker of the blog Marginalia commented that "the most remarkable thing about Joanna Murray-Smith’s adaptation of Hedda Gabler – which replaces Henrik Ibsen’s hermetically-sealed world of the Norwegian bourgeoisie in the twilight of the 19th century with a slice of contemporary upper middle class Australian suburbia – is how unremarkable it is. That is not to say it is bad, but that it is good for a curiously self-defeating reason: that it leaves so much intact. Whole lines of dialogue, and even several longer exchanges, come across from earlier English translations virtually unchanged in Murray-Smith’s one act version. Her most original contribution is her first-rate line in barbed humour which makes its way into a great deal of the dialogue."
Along with No Plain Jane (another Australian Arts blogger) who also commented that:
"Perhaps one of the dangers in adapting Hedda Gabler to a contemporary context is the way that women’s place in society has changed in 120 years. Ibsen’s women, his Hedda and his Nora in particular, were revolutionary in their portraits of middle-class women unhappy with their lives, questioning society, and, ultimately, taking control of their own destinies – in radically different fashions. It would be all too easy for a contemporary Hedda to not ring true: while women are still under many pressures and societal expectations, today’s women are, on the whole, more activated both inside and outside the home. Yet, Murray-Smith’s adaptation brings with it startling relevancy, none more so in the ever-prevailing expectation and tension on women to become mothers: here, this conversation feels shocking but in no way false."
Next year the new Director in Residence at Belvoir St Theatre Adena Jacobs will be tackling this text. It will be interesting to see what take she will have on the play and female lead. Jacobs has a flair for strong female characters and I think that this is an excellent choice for her to approach in her first appointment at Belvoir St. Will she heavily adapt it, as per the state of theatre in Australia at the moment? Or will she subtly maneuver the text into the 21st Century as per Murray-Smith??
I certainly think there is a place for adaptation. There are those out there that think that this contemporary theatre practice is ruining the theatre for emerging artists. (Check out this scathing articlehttp://m.theaustralian.com.au/arts/the-local-voices-being-swept-off-the-stage/story-e6frg8n6-1226651624628?sv=4d4d97a3d6abaddf86efff684124e275) There has been extensive research gone into this area, especially by Alison Croggon, Australia's most outspoken theatre spokesperson - and all for the triumphs and waves that new Australian theatre is bringing. Theatre is a burgeoning area that the needs of the many (and the few) are being indulged, but also bent treated with respect.
You can read Alison Croggon's views on Adaptations Vs New theatrical works here: http://m.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/hooked-on-classics/story-fn9n8gph-1226648616479
I also highly recommend you read the Andrew Upton (co-Artistic Director of Sydney Theatre Company) Phillip Parsons Memorial Lecture delivered on the 2/12/2012 at Belvoir St Theatre. It is a stirring speech about Theatrical pursuits of the many and the few. It made me triumphant and tearful all at the same time.
(Sorry about the messy links.... I really with they would update the blogger app for the iPad to have the ability to embed links in posts.)
I LOVE Australian Theatre. It is such a small scope of what happens here, yet the Directors, Producers, Actors and blossoming major and indie companies are becoming more recognised for the passion that goes into the works and the tremendous output and brilliant productions that are happening across this land. I would not ask to be anywhere else right now.
I realise that this post is a week late, unfortunately due to some personal issues I had to delay this entry.
Next Week: 'EndGame' by Samuel Beckett
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