Prior to attending the press evening for this production, I had been walking past the Old Vic on an almost daily basis and salivating at the thought of seeing Sheridan Smith taking the reins as the eponymous Hedda Gabler.  On all fronts, the night entirely lived up to my expectations.  At almost two centuries old, the Old Vic Theatre is the perfect establishment to play host to Ibsen’s masterpiece, which dates back to a badly received premiere in Germany in 1891.  A 1901 run on Broadway soon changed opinion, however, and the play continues to be performed on stages across the world.

Entering into the auditorium, one is initially struck by Lez Brotherston’s exquisite set.  While light and ornately furnished, the layout also effectively achievs the growing sense of doom that ultimately traps the protagonist.  Smith’s opening and closing of the drawing room doors is a symbolic and meticulously studied act throughout the performance; regardless of all else that is going on stage –she holds the attention of the house at these junctures.  In addition to the wonderful design, there is the extremely clever use of incidental music to both build and ease tension.  This, in combination with the actors’ perfectly timed dialogue and actions, provides for a very gripping spectacle indeed.

To state the obvious, Smith steals the show in her leading role.  Her portrayal is an intoxicating tour de force that invokes a combination of dislike, admiration, disgust, admiration and ultimately horror.  The crescendo towards the horrific denouement is paced remarkably well as she descends into her frenzied internal inferno.  I could wax lyrical about the entire cast but I will give only a few special mentions to my particular favourites.  Adrian Scarborough as George Tesman very much complimented Smith as the rather cumbersome and tactless oaf with a heart of gold.  That said, he was well able to rev into ‘serious mode’ when the tempo demanded it.  Darrell D’Silva took on the role of Judge Brack, whose relationship with Hedda exposes more of her shortcomings than she would care to be open about.  D’Silva achieved the right balance of an outwardly amicable gent with a tendency towards malice when required; his asides with Smith were some of the most engaging of the evening.  Finally I must commend Anne Reid for her evocation of Juliana Tesman. One of the ‘goodies’ of the cast, Reid’s acting was wonderfully innocent and warm-hearted; a perfect counter-balance to the undercurrent of menace that pervades the play.

I could go on, but I really feel this is a stage sensation that you must experience for yourself.  The run continues for a relatively limited period, ending on the 10 November.  Book now or forever regret missing out!

Written by a Thoroughly Modern Man, Mark McCloskey.