Edinburgh Fringe 2024
Hedda Gabler
Crook and Ivy
Genre: Drama, Fringe Theatre, Youth Theatre
Venue: The Space@ Niddry Street
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
A great adaptation of a classic performed by a willing and bale cast with youth on their side and intelligence in their heads as they manage to give us a solid and well imagined Hedda inhabiting her own gloom.
Review
A great adaptation of a classic performed by a willing and bale cast with youth on their side and intelligence in their heads as they manage to give us a solid and well imagined Hedda inhabiting her own gloom.
Crook and Ivy were one of my recommendations for this Fringe, though I had suggested Antigone rather than their Gabler so I was interested to see if, as this was on the day I was at the Fringe, this would bolster my recommendation – and it did.
Like all young performers there can be variation in the abilities on display, but this company have depth. There are a couple who when they are onstage command it and we are treated to their performances helping others to match and raise some of their game which means we get a bit of a treat. And whilst it might be uneven it is both an earnest revelation from the company and it is a delight to see them perform a classic which has a modern idea alongside.
Gabbler is trapped and for the woman of today emerging from the depths of growing up and into the world there is a clear message to be unravelled from Gabler’s experiences. This is an all-female cast so the male characters have a female playing them and this gives them a new sense of purpose and a new version of them which could have gone one stage further – and made them female. The forbidden love of that time could have been an excellent step towards showing emancipation and the grasping lack of freedom that Hedda suffered.
It has been directed in a round which fits this space but for some of the action it could have done with a little less chasing each other in a circle. We can take people standing at opposite sides of a square having conversations or even speaking in proximity, so they look more natural. The ending was really good but need a tighter blackout.
Costumes and the set were really good and had some expert thinking to them. It suggested a time and a creativity in how to hide things which I think made the performance much more assured – there was a confidence in being there.
As for the acting, Hedda needs to just have more confidence in her approach to being aloof and showing her boredom, being as playful with the Judge as she is cold with George. George should be more confident as the essence of the character is captured by our young actor. Just needs to stride more with confidence – the character deserves it, and the young actor has the ability. Aunt Ju-Ju similarly just needs to bring herself into the drama more and be aware that the slight looks are right and need just to be heightened to be shared with us all. Thea has captured the nervousness well. Just be confident that this can translate. Lovborg and the Judge stride along and capture the essence but both need the challenge from other actors which would raise them even more. This is a cast with equal ability – they can share with grace.
It could be argued that bringing both Antigone and Hedda Gabler is likely to have been a tall order and perhaps a step too far for such a young company. Not by me. On the evidence of this, bring it on and push still because young companies like this need the classics to explore and expand their repertoire; and the Fringe should be the place to explore away…
