Jack Studio Theatre – until 14 October 2023
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
4****
Fish Don’t Matter Theatre Company’s atmospheric and intense production of Hedda Gabler packs a punch in a tightly wound 90 minutes. Ibsen’s masterpiece isn’t diminished by the brevity of the production, with director Scott James embracing Scott Bailey’s music with emotive movement direction from Michael Flanagan.
After a long and disappointing honeymoon where her new husband George Tesman (Michael Flanagan) spent most of his time researching his next book, Hedda Gabler’s (Kelsy Short) married life isn’t what she had envisioned. A life of graciously receiving and entertaining guests surrounded by beautiful things in the Tesman house appears endangered when old academic rival and old flame Eilert Løvborg (River Norris) arrives in town. For all Hedda’s railing and anger, it is the timid Thea Elvsted (Megan McGery) who has done the unthinkable – assisting Løvborg in his work and leaving her husband to be with him. Hedda’s childhood cruelty towards Thea is repeated with added fervour as she plays her deadly game. Hedda’s boredom and disgust with those around her lead to manipulations, betrayals and tragedy as she attempts to retrieve the “beautiful” life she feels she deserves.
Just as Hedda is trapped in her marriage, in this production she is trapped in the small stage – her prison marked by a wooden frame lined with flowers. Once onstage, Hedda is the only character who doesn’t leave this space. The female characters are all dressed in period clothing, with the male characters in more modern garb – River Norris looks like they could go straight to the bar without changing – a nice nod to the freedom of thought and movement assured to well-placed men but denied to even the brightest of women who must live by society’s rules in Hedda’s world. As Hedda’s machinations begin to make her world unravel, characters step out of the frame and once out of Hedda’s orbit and influence deliver lines from other rooms in a dreamlike monotone. Charlie Hills’ intelligent lighting design works wonderfully in the main, but there are a few instances when highlighting the emotional storm with lighting seems unnecessary.
The cast impress, with Kelsey Short imperious and brittle as Hedda. From her heartless aloofness towards Georges’ doting aunt (the wonderfully warm Caroline Edwards) to her wild fury, Short is a powerhouse in this role. Short’s expressions of quiet recognition and horror when she realises Brack’s (Michael Martin becoming increasingly odious with every delicious appearance) power over her might even make you feel sorry for Hedda. Michael Flanagan is a joy as the sweetly frustrating George and River Norris is full of mercurial energy as the volatile and equally frustrating Løvborg. Honestly, if these two characters were Hedda’s best options, it’s no wonder she went off the rails.