Fresh new take on Ibsen’s classic features promising young cast and a sassy interpretation.

Of all the iconic roles in theatre, Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler ranks among the top. Often cited as ‘the female Hamlet’, the role demands a performer who is capable of bringing a world-weary weight to her shoulders, an agent of chaos driven by both ennui and nihilism, and ultimately, wants to feel something again, for a character that was years ahead of its time. Bringing the play into the modern world, Hedda Gabler feels more relevant than ever, and taking on Patrick Marber’s adaptation of Ibsen’s script, new theatre company The Winter Players takes on the challenge of staging it with gusto.

Staged at the KC Arts Centre, director Marwyn Ho has found the wry humour amidst the darkness of Hedda Gabler, with the young cast bringing a fervent energy to their roles. Hedda Gabler is the story of an unhappy marriage between the titular Hedda Gabler (Genevieve Tan) and academic George Tesman (Rishi Vadrevu). As a general’s daughter, Hedda is used to living a life of luxury, and is deeply upset with Tesman’s poverty, evidenced by the bare house represented by Anis Binte Abdullah’s sparse set, comprising only of the bare essentials – a sofa, a drawer and a piano, and an overbearingly white wall that constantly reminds us all of how little the Tesmans have. Wanting to find meaning, Hedda gets the opportunity of a lifetime when Tesman’s disgraced former colleague Lovborg (Aaron Ee) returns to town, supposedly sobered up and working on a magnum opus that would change the face of academia forever. Lovborg also happens to be a former lover of Hedda, and attempting to exert her influence over him, Hedda embarks on a journey of emotional manipulation to regain some sense of self and power again in her growing ennui.

Taking on the lead role has never been an easy task but Genevieve Tan (Secondary The Musical) has more than proven her worth as Hedda. From the moment she steps out onstage, Genevieve carries an aura of darkness, not just due to her black ensemble, but also an air of confidence that ensures all eyes are on her from the moment she steps onstage. Genevieve is mercurial in her performance, able to keep up with Hedda’s constantly shifting mood, showcasing snap changes in her demeanour when smiling while entertaining guests, to one of complete and total seriousness when she no longer gets her way, the slightest quaver of fear when cornered. There is a mad glint in her eyes when she finds unbridled joy in taking control, and sensuality when she plays with her father’s guns, or changing her voice to flirt with others, gazing into the distance each time she imagines Lovborg ‘with vine leaves in his hair’. Genevieve proves that she was well-chosen, and can and should continue to be cast in future powerhouse roles.

Opposite her, Rishi Vadrevu is also impressive as her hapless husband Tesman – bringing a buffoonish air to him, and an endless well of energy, easily excitable by every small uptick in their fortunes. You can’t help but feel sorry for how completely in his own world he is, and understand completely why Hedda is so frustrated having married this man, so lost and oblivious and ultimately, pathetic in the way he is consumed by his niche interests. As Lovborg, Aaron Ee has a clarity in his voice that makes him immediately charming, controlled in his movements that suggest a man who has mastered mind over matter, before his complete change once he falls to ruin.

Meanwhile, Kyra Lefebvre (Hard Mode) brings out Mrs. Elvsted’s innocence, a giddiness when she speaks of Lovborg and meek voice even when she plucks up the courage to run away. There is a softness to her demeanour that makes her easy to sympathise with, oozing earnestness at every turn, and her face crestfallen with worry when she sees Hedda’s true nature and recalls how she used to be bullied by her. Feroz J. Malik, as Judge Brack, revels in the comic potential of the character, often playing the character big and imposing, while holding onto an undercurrent of tension with the unspoken power he holds over everyone else, withholding information until the perfect time to reveal his true intentions, almost sinister in the way he might completely turn the tables at any point, requiring no weapons except the threat of ruining the couple to lord over them.

What director Marwyn does so well is to lean into the unexpected comic potential each of these characters have, ensuring that all the actors play them larger-than-life. In that respect, there are times Hedda Gabler almost feels like a sitcom, where the sheer ludicrousness of certain lines or responses are given the right delivery that evokes audible laughs from the audience. Hedda herself especially feels like she’s often surrounded by idiots, looking at the other characters with so much disdain and pity that even we see her as above them. Take for example how dismissive she is of Tesman’s aunt Juliana (Miriam Cheong), derisively mocking her hideous fashion sensibilities while putting on a facade of innocence, or even how the Tesman’s servant girl (Wong Shao Qi) is often brought in for comic effect, whether garbling her words halfway through a meal, or picking up the flowers Hedda constantly sweeps off the drawer, confused as to how they keep falling off. Overall, it’s impressive how much humour they draw from what is often considered a heavy, dramatic script.

Of course, Hedda Gabler still holds plenty of tension, and Marwyn is excellent at bringing out the dramatic pauses at exactly the right moment. Much of this is again, thanks to Genevieve’s ability to make it feel like she is complete control, her presence as Hedda always sweeping a pall over the stage where you know she’s down to cause some trouble. When Loveborg is left a total mess, Hedda moves towards the drawer which contains his manuscript, and even though we know her ill intentions, we still hold out hope that she does the right thing, only to hand him a revolver instead, provoking gasps of shock from the audience. Later on, Hedda outright burns every page of the manuscript, tossing it into a realistic bin fire, complete with ‘smoke’ and red ‘flame’ that requires few words to bring out the gravity of what she has done.

Of course, there are still small tweaks that the team could do to smoothen the entire show, whether it’s the slightly awkward transitions into ‘Hedda’ (Melissa May Garcia) playing the piano, or the pacing which at times feels indulgent when it drags in the second half. But as a whole, The Winter Players have exceeded expectations for a young company, brimming with potential thanks to their talented young cast and astute interpretation of Ibsen/Marber’s script that makes it feel relatively light and accessible for any audience, and most of all, making Hedda an anti-heroine you somehow root for, feeling her pain when she realises her fatal mistake, even mourning her when she ends the play on its tragic, beautiful loss. This is the work of a young company that brings a clear vision and quality work to a landscape where fellow newcomers are still finding their way. If they can keep this up, find the right support and play their cards right, then both the company and this cast are certainly ones to watch, regardless of the production they end up in.

Photo Credit: The Winter Players

Hedda Gabler played from 17th to 19th January 2025 at KC Arts Centre.

Production Credits:

Playwright Henrik Ibsen (adapted by Patrick Marber) Director Marwyn Ho Cast Genevieve Tan, Rishi Vadrevu, Miriam Cheong, Wong Shao Qi, Feroz J. Malik, Aaron Ee, Kyra Lefebvre, Natalie Linn Titus (Understudy), Melissa May Garcia (Musician) Co-Producer Sophie Buligis Production Manager/Set Coordinator Anis Binte Abdullah Marketing Manager Corliss Tay Sound Designer Usaid Abdul Rashid Lighting Designer Daryl Norman Soh Props Coordinator Ridley Wo Costume Coordinator Nur Nadhirah Binte Azahari Poster Designer Clara Tan