'Hedda Gabler' is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Recognised as a classic of realism, nineteenth century theatre, and world drama, the title character, Hedda, is considered one of the great dramatic roles in theatre.

To categorise the plot into a single concept would be both a logistical nightmare and a severe undersell for the piece. The main theme is fairly straight forward; Hedda has just returned home from her honeymoon with her husband, George Tesman - a young, aspiring academic who continued his research during their getaway. It becomes clear in the course of the play that she has never loved him but married him because she thinks her years of youthful abandon are over.

The play explores a variety of concepts, many of which the audience find themselves reading into the plot. For me, there were elements of confusion, power struggle, manipulation as well as an incredibly frank and relevant subtext around mental health. However others I spoke to in the interval took very different messages from act one - a feat which I'd suggest is almost unique to 'Hedda'. 

This production of the play is somewhat updated, in parts, from the original. Hedda no longer returns home to a villa, rather she now lives in a bare apartment block in 'a city' - which is intended to be representative of any location the audience can imagine. It's geographical home is largely irrelevant, the symbolism of bare concrete walls, a lack of furniture and any chaos that ensues is more a way to connote Hedda's frame of mind throughout the story.

The National Theatre team should be congratulated for constructing a truly superb piece of theatre. Credit where it's due, this performance had a number of school groups in attendance, many of whom had a stereotypically half hearted excitement level before they took their seats. Those same unimpressed faces were a picture of intrigue and amazement by the interval which is no mean feat! I'm putting this down to the exquisitely simple, but astoundingly beautiful set design and lighting which captured the mood almost perfectly. 

This show is an incredibly tense, gripping and all consuming piece of theatre. You simply can't watch it half heartedly and the audience were in the palm of the production teams hands throughout - helped, of course, by a truly stunning cast.

Sometimes, in 'straight' plays, it can feel like the cast are going through the motions, somewhat. However 'Hedda' just doesn't allow for complacency at any level. You absolutely have to put your heart and soul into each performance which was what every member of the cast did from the get go.

Elements of certain roles were quite spooky. In a similar turn to the narrator in Blood Brothers, Berte (played beautifully by Madlena Nedeva) is the Tesman's maid. Her, almost haunting presence on stage - just sitting and watching proceedings save to answer the front door - leaves your mind racing and full of questions. She very rarely interacts with any other characters; is she really there? What does she symbolise? Am I looking into it too much and is she just a very shy person...? 

Similarly, Lizzy Watts who takes on the title role, should be incredibly proud of her performance this evening. Watts takes on an iconic role, makes it her own and plays the lead with no hint of the caricature that Hedda could become, in the wrong hands. With just the right amount of sass, conviction and humour, she - along with the rest of the cast - is an absolute joy to watch.

Hedda Gabler is a play that allows you to leave the auditorium with a mind full of questions. It's an intense piece, staged simply, with an incredibly powerful story behind it. It's an absolute must-see show and a fantastic way to introduce the next generation to theatre.

Hedda Gabler runs at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre until Saturday 27th January 2018. For more details, or to get your tickets, head to grandtheatre.co.uk.

UNDER 26 SCHEME

If you're under the age of 26, you can see Hedda Gabler for just £5 a ticket. It's a partnership between Wolverhampton Grand and the National Theatre which aims to get young people watching live theatre.

Just quote 'IBSEN5' when you book and bring photo ID with you to collect your tickets.