Hedda Gabler

About

‘Then I, poor creature, have no sort of power over you?’

Hedda, the proud daughter of General Gabler, loves horse riding, playing the piano, and pistol shooting. To everyone’s surprise, the reserved, steely-eyed beauty marries the aspiring historian and soon-to-be professor Jörgen Tesman; returning from a long honeymoon, the couple move into a mansion fully satisfying Hedda’s wishes. Yet the ghosts of the past come forth. Tea Elvsted, a mutual acquaintance, comes to the town, joined by Eilert Løvborg, Tesman’s more handsome and talented rival and Hedda’s old flame. Back then, the demons of alcohol and drugs had destroyed Løvborg’s brilliant intellect, and his dubious reputation made him an unsuitable match for Hedda, both financially and socially. However, Løvborg has overcome his addictions with the loving care of Tea and even has a new book published. As Tesman’s prospects of the professorship seems uncertain and Hedda watches her dream life crumble, darkness, anger, and harshness take over her and she is ready to reckon with the world and those around her.

Viktor Bodó will direct our production of Ibsen’s play, which caused an upheaval upon its publication in 1890 and has become an item on theatre repertoires worldwide. The peculiar staging style of the Hungarian director, who has also cooperated with several leading theatres in German-speaking countries, is characterised with masterful use of grotesque elements and pop culture references, which have earned him the nickname ‘Quentin Tarantino of contemporary theatre’.

VIKTOR BODÓ (1978) studied acting and theatre direction at the Theatre and Film University in Budapest. Since graduating in 2003 he has focused on theatre and film direction, appearing as an actor only in film. In 2008 he founded his own company, Sputnik Shipping Company. His greatest successes include a stage adaptation of Kafka’s The Trial at the József Katona Theatre under the title Rattledanddisappeared, which he presented at the 2009 Divadlo International Theatre Festival in Pilsen. For this and other guest direction in Hungary and elsewhere he has received a number of theatre awards. The Divadlo festival further presented his productions The Government Inspector (2014) and Diary of a Madman (2017). Theatre on the Balustrade staged his play Anamnesis directed by Rastislav Ballek (2015). Bodó’s production Shaxpeare Carwash in Kertész Street, prepared for Isztvan Örkenyi Színhás theatre, was presented to great acclaim at the 2023 Divadlo International Theatre Festival in Pilsen. Viktor Bodó regularly directs in Hungary, as well as in Austrian and German theatres (in Graz, Vienna, Berlin, Köln, Hamburg and Zürich).

Premiere performances: 5 and 6 March 2026 at the Estates Theatre

Cast

Heda Tesmanová: Pavla Beretová

Dr. Jørgen Tesman: Filip Kaňkovský

Tea Elvstedová: Denisa Barešová

Eilert Løvborg: Igor Orozovič

JuDr. Brack: Marek Daniel

Juliana Tesmanová: Taťjana Medvecká

Služebná Berta: Alžběta Dolečková

Creatives

Translation František Fröhlich

Stage director Viktor Bodó

Dramaturgy Jana Slouková

Sets Julia Balázs

Costume design Fruzsina Nagy

Music Klaus von Heydenaber

Sound design Gábor Keresztes

Light design Tamás Bányai

Translation of English surtitles Alžběta Soperová