"If Ejlert Loevborg Wrote a Song, It Would Sound Like This..." Theatre Review: Hedda Gabler, Nottingham Theatre Royal 25 March 2010

First things first: Rosamund Pike is stunningly beautiful. And this production of Hedda Gabler is entrancing. Catch it in Nottingham til Saturday 27 March 2010.

I'll confess my ignorance of the play before seeing this production. Yes, yes, I knew OF it, but I didn't know it. And I hadn't seen it. Shame on me. (Though I was relieved to note Kris had also not seen Hedda Gabler before).

Anyway, there is MUCH to praise in this production. The costumes are wonderful - Hedda's dresses are simply breathtaking. The cast are great: Anna Carteret (the petite bourgeois Aunt Juju), Janet Whiteside (the life-long servant Berthe), Robert Glenister (the hapless George Tesman), Zoe Waites (a perfectly hysterical Mrs Elvsted), Tim McInnerny (the duplicitous and ultimately manipulative Judge Brack). Rosamund Pike makes for a transcendent Hedda Gabler: her father;s wilful daughter, longing for stimulation, callous in her infantile emotions, cornered by her own actions, the societal demands and the power structures surrounding women.

Interestingly, it is perhaps the dissolute Loevborg (Colin Tierney) who is hardest to appreciate: it is a thankless role in some respects, someone who has behaved appallingly, has managed to adopt and convince polite society of his worth for re-entry in their ranks (both academic and social), but who easily slips back into his disreputable ways (if he ever really left them). The inability to reconcile the intellectual mind with his own passions is his undoing and in that respect, Tierney convinces.

I'd be interested to read other translations: there certainly seemed lines that jarred slightly, but the direction and performances more than compensated. Very worthwhile and no doubt coming to a London stage this year...

Oh, and in case you were wondering where the post title came from, well of course there's this cracking song by the awesome Broken Records. "Come on Hedda, you know you've made your bed..."

Jamie and Rory - intimate version



Album version - with footage from touring

Gig Review: Broken Records and The Twilight Sad (Bodega Social, Nottingham) 18 June 2008

Let us deal with the night overall. Shite day at the office. Had heard Twilight Sad on Marc Riley doing a session and quite liked them. Thought we would take a punt on seeing them live. Got tickets on the door.

First support: man with guitar (that's not his act's name). Pleasant enough but.... yawn, there are a ton of these guys about and there wasn't much to identify him as standing out. Apologies.

Second support: Broken Records from Edinburgh... oh my GOD. I'm coming back to these guys in a moment.

Main act - The Twilight Sad: they're a FatCat band with a wall of sound and noise. Not at all bad.

BUT...

Dude - Mr Lead Singer: take a recommendation.

Stop watching 'Control' on repeat.

You are NOT Ian Curtis.

You were born AFTER Ian Curtis died for heaven's sake.

Rolling your eyes and feeling/conveying a sense of fear and loathing of being on stage may well be 'true' for you but it comes across as a performance and it sure detracts from the music.

And that's a real shame because you may say you are "just a little band from Glasgow" but you have energy in bundles in the music.

Sort the 'tude, and you could go much further!


ANYWAY: to Broken Records.

Hellfire: these guys were the highlight! I knew we were onto a winner when they came on stage - cello, electric violin, trumpet, accordian, ukelele, and SEVEN of them on the tiny stage. Brilliant.

And they totally lived up to it. Arcade Fire come back to Scotland (from whence many Canadians originated!), Broken Records had truly mastered the art of the crescendo. Pounding, melancholic, churning music. Just glorious!



This gives a flavour, but seeing them on a cramped small stage was just incredible!

Update: And a good dose of Waterboys influence as well - hey, so far it's all good by my accounts!