Lily Allen is to play Hedda Gabler in a brand new model of Henrik Ibsen’s traditional at Theatre Royal Bathtub’s Ustinov Studio subsequent summer season.
The manufacturing will see the actor and singer reunite with Matthew Dunster, who directed Allen in her West Finish theatre debut within the supernatural thriller 2:22: A Ghost Story in 2021 and her subsequent function as a author held prisoner in The Pillowman in 2023.
Allen stated she was thrilled to be enjoying Hedda Gabler within the intimacy of the Ustinov, which has a capability of simply 126. Dunster, who will write and direct, stated: “Lily and I have been speaking about ladies we knew that have been trapped in relationships the place males had all the ability, and the way these Twenty first-century ladies have been nonetheless being managed and destroyed. The dialog turned to performs the place we might discover these concepts. We considered Hedda Gabler and the connections have been apparent, thrilling and devastating.” He stated their model of the tragedy, concerning the despair and need of a lady in a stifling marriage, could be “completely for now”.
Hedda will run from 25 July to 23 August 2025 and follows a string of latest reimaginings of the play. Final 12 months, Studying Rep staged Harriet Madeley’s queer adaptation whereas the Rose theatre and Norwegian Ibsen Firm co-produced Nina Segal’s Taking pictures Hedda Gabler, by which a movie crew is making a film adaptation of the play. This summer season, Patrick Marber’s new model shall be carried out on the Stratford competition in Canada.
This month sees the return of two:22: A Ghost Story to the West Finish with a brand new solid together with Stacey Dooley within the function originated by Allen of a lady who believes her new house is haunted. It’s the seventh West Finish season for Danny Robins’ chiller and can run concurrently with its UK tour.
