Adaptation of Ibsen classic blends the old with the new

Theatre: Hedda Gabler. By Henrik Ibsen. Directed by Annabelle Comyn. Abbey Theatre, Dublin. Runs until May 16. Rating: ****. Reviewed by Andrew Lynch

Keith McErlean, Peter Gaynor and Catherine Walker in Hedda Gabler at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin
Keith McErlean, Peter Gaynor and Catherine Walker in Hedda Gabler at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin

Who is Hedda Gabler? This is the question emblazoned on posters to advertise the Abbey Theatre’s latest version of Henrik Ibsen’s classic, one that people have been asking ever since she first appeared 125 years ago. Some see her as a feminist pioneer struggling against her patriarchal society, others as a sociopath who casually destroys others’ lives for her own ...