Review-Mainline Theatre’s Hedda Gabler

I’m confused. I shouldn’t have liked Mainline’s staging of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler but I really really enjoyed Mainline’s staging of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler. Wait first off I hate regurgitating plots so go to Mainline’s website and read their blurb about the play…

Ok so you get the drift. So…where to start….ok.. lots of good things going on here. They used Canadian playwrite Judith Thompson’s adaptation of the script and she’s brilliant. Like, I mean, BRILLIANT. Like a genius. So that is pretty cool. Her adaptation shortens the play and sharpens the language to great effect. Usually I hate when directors take plays out of the period they are set in but it works in this case (from Victorian Norway to 1950’s USA) so whoot! Another point for Mainline. Ok back to my confusion. So you read Mainline’s synopsis and saw phrases like “complex Modernist introspective tragedy”, “female Hamlet”, “irony and naturalism” and ummm “Ibsen play”.
However throughout the whole evening the audience was laughing and giggling and guffawing. That is because the play is presented as a dark comedy and it is done very well as a dark comedy. Two of elements of stage comedy are done very well here:

1.Impeccable timing

2.Broad and stereotypical stock characters (the crazy bitch! the nebbish!! the girl nebbish!!! the suave guy who has everything under control!!!! the crazy artist!!!!! the old auntie!!!!!! the put upon maid!!!!!!!!) brought to life and played with aplomb by talented actors.

So basically this is blasphemy to Ibsen fans. Plus there doesn’t seem to be any indication from the company that this is their approach to the play. But yet I would recommend it. Go see it.

Hedda Gabler, Feb. 13 – Feb. 16
MainLine Theatre 3997 St Laurent
Tickets $17.00
514 849-3378