Hedda Gabler wants a life of beauty and desire, no matter what, or whom, stands in her way. The Coal Mine Theatre is bringing Ibsen’s classic to life in their final production of their ninth season. Expertly adapted by Liisa Repo-Martell and directed by Moya O’Connell, Hedda Gabler is a thrilling drama that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.

For those unfamiliar with the story of Hedda Gabler, Hedda is a high-society lady living in Norway. Her father was a general and she is definitely used to the finer things in life. The play opens as she and her newlywed husband Jorgen Tesman are returning home from their honeymoon. Through their family and close friends, they find out that a rival professor to Jorgen has returned to the city as well, having just written a groundbreaking new book. The web of lives intermingling gets more tangled throughout the play as old flames are rekindled and passions run high amongst the socialites and scholars. Culminating in a gasp-inducing final act of “beauty,” it’s clear to see why this has become such a paragon of drama.

I really enjoyed this new adaptation by Liisa Repo-Martell; after seeing her adaptation of Uncle Vanya at Crow’s Theatre, I was eagerly anticipating her work on this project and was not disappointed. The repetition of certain words and phrases gives the text a sense of inevitability and foreboding. Repo-Martell does a great job of balancing the light and dark, of reminding us that this should be a joyous time for the characters and yet there’s so much else which pre-occupies them. The moments of levity shine and yet there’s a consistent tension throughout the play.

Once again, the Coal Mine Theatre has been transformed anew for Hedda Gabler. They kept a few rows of seating on either side of the stage as they had for Dion:A Rock Opera, however for this production they added a third section of seating as well. Having sat in that third seating space, with the main playing space directly in front of me, I would highly recommend that you sit along the sides of the theatre. I saw just as much, if not more, of Diana Bentley’s back than I did her face, and there were times when actors were completely blocking the other actors downstage from them. While you would have to frequently look back and forth if you sat along the sides, I’d far rather do that and be able to fully see the production. The staging also forced a kind of repetition in the actors movements, as they were frequently entering and then only hitting a few marks as they spoke, hence how I saw so much of the backs of actors throughout the play. For a play known for its realism, it broke me out of that; it was like they were each on a little race course and they could only go to certain places during each lap of the stage. The intimacy of the Coal Mine Theatre is what makes it unique and fitting for a play like Hedda Gabler, however I feel like the space constraints were more noticeable with production than with others.

That being said, Joshua Quinlan’s set and costume design for Hedda Gabler is stunning. The earthy tones of the set and the scholar’s costumes make Hedda‘s black and white ensembles stand out all the more. The ever-present portrait of her father is such an iconic set piece and it was appropriately centre-stage for this production. Hedda’s very corseted yet sexy costumes are in direct contrast to the more comfy, sweater-bearing characters; a visual sign that Hedda is not in her element any longer. The entirety of the space is used for the set, with elements elegantly placed in corners or even amongst the audience, allowing us to feel as if we are fully sitting in Hedda’s living room with her.

Emily Haines composed a score specifically for this production, and it was as if the music took on a character of its own. Ominous and disquieting, the music embodies the inner workings of Hedda’s mind, taking us down the dark rabbit holes of her past and present.

Coal Mine has assembled a truly all-star cast to bring Hedda Gabler to life. Co-Chief Engineer Diana Bentley stars as the titular character. Throughout the play, Bentley moves as if she’s stalking prey; her fluid motions followed by quick dashes towards her targets give her the feeling of a panther or lioness. While I wish we could have seen more of Hedda’s mental state throughout the production, as opposed to the very end, Bentley is a terrifying and intimidating Hedda. Qasim Khan stars opposite Bentley as Hedda’s new husband Jorgen. There is a delightful softness to Jorgen which Khan capitalizes on; he makes us wonder how a man so caring could ever think to marry someone as cold and calculating as Hedda Gabler. Andrew Chown delivers a tortured and troubled Eilert Lovborg; his pain is so palpable and Chown brings out every nuance of that character. Leah Doz is back on the Coal Mine stage delivering a beautiful performance as Thea Elvsted. Doz’s Thea acts as a direct foil to Hedda, presenting a more scholarly, kind, caring alternative for Jorgen, while also helping is to understand how far back Hedda’s cruelty goes. Shawn Doyle’s Judge Brack appears to be just as manipulative and ambitious as Hedda herself. Doyle oozes charisma as he weaves his way in out our of the lives of the other characters. Rounding out this stunning cast are Fiona Reid and Nancy Beatty as Julia Tesman (Jorgen’s Aunt) and Berta (the housekeeper). They both bring such light and joy to their roles; I couldn’t help but smile when they were on stage.

Hedda Gabler is a powerful way to close out a season of fascinating and impactful works. Now extended until June 2nd, there’s still plenty of time to catch Hedda Gabler! For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.coalminetheatre.com/hedda-gabler

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Cover Photo: Fiona Reid and Diana Bentley. Photo by Elana Emer

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