29 September – 21 October 2023
Rose Theatre

By Nina Segal
After Henrik Ibsen
Directed by Jeff James

When offered the lead part in a Norwegian film adaptation of Hedda Gabler, an American actress seizes the opportunity to escape Hollywood – and gain some artistic credibility.  She’s running away from her past as a child star, from her present as a tabloid punchline, and from an unfortunate collision between a self-driving Tesla and a member of the paparazzi.  But most of all – she’s running away from herself.

What awaits her in Norway is Henrik, the brilliant and demanding director – and a film set where reality and fiction are blurred, not least by the arrival of one of her real-life exes.  With every moment being filmed, she becomes unmoored and paranoid.  As the atmosphere on set becomes increasingly claustrophobic, Henrik becomes fixated on how to end the movie with a bang.

Shooting Hedda Gabler is a radical and affectionate adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler written by Nina Segal and directed by Jeff James (Persuasion). Ibsen’s classic is reimagined in a brand new play about doing whatever is necessary to get the shot.

Supported by Cockayne Grants for the Arts, a donor advised fund held at The London Community Foundation