Hymers College Hedda Gabler programme

Hymers College Sixth Form Presents

Hedda

Gabler By

Henrik Ibsen

Note from Director…

In the summer of 2020, when we were all looking forward to coming back to school; back to normal as the pandemic would surely be over by September, plans were afoot in the Drama department for an ambitious project for the Autumn term production. Historically, this slot has been given to the upper school musical, auditions and rehearsals for which usually start in the preceding Summer term. This year, we knew this would not be possible. What better excuse to put on a straight play?

Hedda Gabler is a play that I have wanted to stage for a long time. When it was written, it was shocking to the Victorian audiences and it still has the power to shock today. Like musicals, the prevailing drama of the 19th Century had aimed to entertain; to cheer and to delight audiences.

Ibsen, the Norwegian playwright who wrote the play, was not interested in serving up neat plots or happy endings. He wanted to present his audiences with a slice of ‘real life’; dramas that were enacted everyday in the homes of his contemporaries and which are still recognisable to audiences today.

Henrik Ibsen – who lived from 1828 – 1906 – was a friend and contemporary of Edvard Munch, famous for this painting, The Scream, which you may recognise.

I chose this image for the programme notes. I hope it will intrigue you about the subject matter of the play.

It soon became clear that we wouldn’t be able to open our casting to years 10 -13 because of the necessity to keep to year group bubbles, so in the end this became a Sixth Form production.

Something we are keen to keep going in the future, alongside the larger productions we hope to return to before too long. This year we have been very lucky to have such a talented group of young performers to take on this demanding project. We double-cast the play to enable them all to show off their skills – a decision that proved to be the saving of the play as unfortunately a member of cast had to go into isolation and we had to shift the cast around last minute.

We are excited to be launching our first ‘Digital Theatre Production’ on Thursday and Friday this week. All the best theatres are doing it during lockdown! Licensing agreements mean that each performance will be available for one night only. I hope that you enjoy the show!

By Sue Rosser

Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen – a play in four acts A version by Patrick Marber

SYNOPSIS: Returning from her honeymoon, alarmed by the prospect of years ahead of her as the wife of a reliable academic, Hedda realises that she has relinquished the power she wielded as the beautiful, wealthy and accomplished daughter of a General and the freedom she enjoyed.

Trapped by society's expectations; by rules of propriety and by her husband's relentless optimism; she tries to prove that she still has agency and the ability to bend others to her will. Can she succeed?

There have been many famous actors to play Hedda over the years including Dame Maggie Smith, Fiona Shaw and Cate Blanchett. Here are photographs of our own infamous Heddas:

Phoebe Taylor Hedda – Cast 1

Rachel Wheatley Hedda – Cast 2

Cast & Crew

Cast 1 – Thursday 28th January: Jorgen Tesman – Thomas Jackson Hedda – Phoebe Taylor Aunt Juliana – Bethany Strode Berte (the maid) – Rachel Wheatley Judge Brack (a family friend) – Dane Juler Eilert Lovborg (a writer) – James Lewis Thea Elvsted (a visitor) – Isabel Doyle

Cast 2 – Friday 29th January: Jorgen Tesman – Thomas Jackson Hedda – Rachel Wheatley Aunt Juliana – Bethany Strode Berte – Phoebe Taylor Judge Brack – Dane Juler Eilert Lovborg – James Lewis Thea Elvsted – Isabel Doyle

Thanks also to Charlie Sturdy who due to isolation, was unable to be in the production but who put in many hours of rehearsal!

Crew:

Lighting - Oscar Shutt Sound - Eliza Clayton Stage Manager - Will Cadle Video/Editing – Oliver Leach

Special thanks: Matthew Pickles/ Ali Javed/ Natalie McLeod/ Alan Walker/ Lindsay Mason/ Nicola Grantham/ Art Dept/ DT Dept/ Marketing Dept/ Dennis Thompson/ Sam Syson/ Fraser Hartley/ John Bramley & Badapple Theatre/ Leeds playhouse for costumes.

Photographs Cast 1 Thursday 28th January

Photographs Cast 2 Friday 29th January