by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Richard Eyre
Directed by Paul Dineen
Play Reading: Tuesday 6 October 2026 at 7.45pm, in the studio
Auditions: Friday 16 October at 7.45pm or Sunday 25 October at 2pm, in the theatre
Performance Dates: 18 – 27 February 2027
“For once in my life I want to control a man’s fate.”
Newly married and already disillusioned, Hedda Tesman finds herself confined within a life of polite respectability that offers neither freedom nor excitement. Intelligent, perceptive and dangerously bored, she begins to exert her influence over those around her — a husband absorbed in his work, an aunt devoted to the life she has helped to build, and a household ordered by expectation.
When the brilliant but self-destructive Eilert Løvborg re-enters her world alongside the devoted Thea Elvsted, Hedda recognises an opportunity to shape his fate — and to reclaim something of the courage and freedom she feels she has lost. But as old tensions resurface and Hedda’s manipulations deepen, new alliances begin to form and the balance of this carefully ordered world starts to shift. As the watchful Judge Brack draws ever closer, Hedda discovers that she is no longer in control of the game she has set in motion.
The play will be presented on a traditional proscenium arch stage and set in the late Victorian period.
This production uses Richard Eyre’s modern adaptation of Ibsen’s text. Although the world of the play remains period, the language is direct and contemporary in feel, and should be spoken with clarity and naturalism rather than in a formal or “heritage” style.
Accents should reflect the character’s social background and status. While no accent should be exaggerated or caricatured, a clear sense of class and period will be important.
This amateur production is presented by arrangement with NICK HERN BOOKS.
Characters
Playing ages are intended as a guide only and may flex considerably depending on the overall cast.
Hedda Tesman | 20s to early-40s
George Tesman | 20s to 40s
Judge Brack | 30s to 50s
Eilert Løveborg | 20s to 40s
Thea Elvsted | early-20s to late-30s
Juliana Tesman | 40s to 70s
Berthe | 40+