Well loves, the Orange Tree Theatre have slipped a very juicy letter into my satchel – a casting special delivery for Tanika Gupta’s Hedda.
Already signed, sealed, and announced was the fabulous Pearl Chanda, but joining her in the Chelsea shadows are: Joe Bannister, Bebe Cave, Rina Fatania, Caroline Harker, Jake Mann, and Milo Twomey. Now that’s a guest list worthy of a Hollywood starlet’s cocktail party.
The whole affair is steered by director Hettie Macdonald, who says she’s “thrilled to be working with such an exceptional cast” – and I don’t blame her. This bold reimagining promises secrets, blackmail, and a past that refuses to stay buried.
Hedda runs from 18 October – 22 November at the Orange Tree, with the big press night on 27 October. Book your seats now : Tickets here.
And what’s the gossip? We’re off to London, 1948. The war’s just over, India is newly independent, and Hedda Gabler herself has “retired” early – elegantly, with a hint of mystery. Once a Hollywood darling, now wife to up-and-coming film director George Tesman, she’s tucked away in Chelsea. But the past is never truly past, is it? Old colleagues resurface with dangerous scripts, powerful producers come calling, and Hedda’s secrets are threatening to spill faster than gin at a wrap party.
Inspired by Anglo-Indian screen legend Merle Oberon, this is a bold new Hedda with film reels, intrigue, and power plays all tangled up in Tanika Gupta’s words.
Creative team includes: Set Designer Simon Kenny, Costume Designer Sheena Napier, Lighting Designer Ben Ormerod, Sound Designer/Composer Pouya Ehsaei, Assistant Director Tara Jamora Oppen, and Production Manager Sean Laing.
Stamp of approval: this one’s a must-see.
Tickets are on sale now: https://orangetreetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/hedda/
Pop the kettle on, loves, because my satchel is positively bursting with names today!
First, let’s tip our postie’s cap to Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906) – Norway’s grand master of drama, the fella who gave us A Doll’s House, Ghosts, The Wild Duck and of course Hedda Gabler. Without him, we wouldn’t even be here.
Now enter Tanika Gupta, the powerhouse playwright re-wrapping Ibsen’s classic. Tanika’s penned everything from The Empress (RSC) to Sugar Mummies (Royal Court), and she’s even on the GCSE syllabus – so yes, teenagers are studying her while we’re sipping interval wine.
And who’s stepping into Hedda’s shoes? None other than Pearl Chanda – you’ll have seen her in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Three Sisters, and telly hits like I May Destroy You and Motherland.
By her side:
- Joe Bannister (The Watsons, As You Like It, and This Sceptred Isle on the box).
- Bebe Cave (star of Industry, On Chesil Beach, and a cheeky Fringe show of her own).
- Rina Fatania (a whirlwind from A Thousand Splendid Suns to Man Like Mobeen).
- Caroline Harker (Steel Magnolias, Pride and Prejudice, and telly favourite Slow Horses).
- Jake Mann (Richard II, American Assassin, The Gold).
- Milo Twomey, returning to the Orange Tree after Winter Solstice, with credits ranging from Mary Poppins to A Discovery of Witches.
And steering this fabulous lot? Hettie Macdonald – BAFTA-winner, the director behind Beautiful Thing, Doctor Who, and Normal People. If anyone can deliver a Hedda with bite, glamour, and secrets spilling like loose letters, it’s her.
So there you have it: a dream team ready to shake Chelsea in 1948, where Hedda hides behind curtains, old flames write dangerous scripts, and producers come knocking who never take “no” for an answer.