Robert Jackman

Is it time to give up on the Ibsen adaptations?

There is nothing revolutionary about Hedda Tesman and the most interesting thing about An Enemy of the People is still that it inspired Jaws

issue 21 September 2019

Pub quiz question: what do John Osborne, Brian Friel and Patrick Marber have in common? The answer is they’ve all written their own versions of Hedda Gabler. Although none of them, it should be noted, to any particular critical acclaim. Is it time to give up on the Hedda adaptations altogether and just stick to the original? Or maybe opt for a different tack: why not let a woman have a go?

Step forward, Cordelia Lynn, a 30-year-old playwright with three London productions under her belt.

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