Latest news with #HeddaGabler
Korea Herald
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Interview: Lee Hye-young reclaims ‘Hedda Gabler,' says magic of theater makes age irrelevant
Lee Hye-young recently starred as a cold-blooded assassin in "The Old Woman with the Knife," and now commands the stage in the National Theater Company of Korea's revival of Henrik Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler," which opened May 16 at Myeongdong Theater in central Seoul. The titular antiheroine who refuses to be defined by men, marriage or societal expectations, is considered one of modern drama's most enigmatic female protagonists. Lee first took on the role in 2012 in a sold-out production that earned her Korea's top theater honors, including best actress at both the Dong-A Theater Awards and the Korea Theater Awards. Now 62, Lee reprises the role, and ticket sales once again reflect the excitement with the play selling out. 'Director Park Jeong-hee asked if I wanted to complete something that we couldn't finish the first time, and I said yes,' Lee said during a recent interview with reporters. 'I loved that we tore everything down and rebuilt it from scratch." Lee reflected on the 2012 production and spoke about her connection to the late playwright-director Kim Eui-kyung. She recalled Kim's encouragement when he first suggested the character. "I knew it had been staged in college theater, but it had never been done professionally. And I asked, 'Why is that?' Kim said, 'Because there hasn't been an actress like you.' And I believed him. That illusion gave me strength then — and still does.' The only real difference now, according the Lee, is "the years that have passed.' 'I'd be lying if I said I wasn't anxious about aging. I really focused on building my physical strength. I didn't want anyone to think, 'She's too old to play this role.' I treated every rehearsal as if it were opening night, to convince even myself that I am Hedda.' Lee added, 'On camera, my age shows as it is. But on stage, in this shared magic of the space where Hedda comes alive with the audience, I don't think my age matters.' Park, who helmed the 2012 production, returned to the work in her new role as artistic director of the National Theater Company. She chose "Hedda Gabler" as her first production in the position. In this revival, the story is set in the mid-1970s — a time of cultural upheaval and the hippie movement — with a psychedelic aesthetic. 'The play is often read as a narrative of female liberation,' Park said. 'But today, I see it more as a story about one individual, beyond gender, a human being grappling with existential despair.' Lee's Hedda is markedly different this time: a more languid, weary figure drifting through endless boredom. 'We've returned more faithfully to the original text. I wanted a more grounded, prose-like delivery. In 2012, we portrayed Hedda almost as a divine figure. This time, we approached her as a human being.' Originally scheduled for May 8, the opening was postponed for a week after actor Yoon Sang-hwa, who was to play Judge Brack, had to withdraw due to an unexpected health issue. Actor Hong Seon-woo stepped in. 'We were devastated, like defeated soldiers. We carried guilt and pain all week, and now it feels like a miracle that we're performing," said Lee. "It was a harsh reality — having to urgently cast a replacement while a fellow actor collapsed. Still, we were determined to give our best to the audience who came to see the show" The revival has also drawn attention for its overlap with another high-profile "Hedda Gabler" production — one starring actress Lee Young-ae at the LG Arts Center. When asked about comparisons, Lee replied, 'Different actors, different productions. It's not something that can be compared.' The National Theater Company's "Hedda Gabler" runs through June 1 at Myeongdong Theater. English subtitles are available on Thursday and Sunday.
Korea Herald
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Interview: Lee Young-ae on how antihero 'Hedda' brought her back to stage after 30 years
'We all carry a little bit of Hedda within us,' Lee says In a theatrical coincidence that has stirred anticipation among theatergoers, two major Korean productions of "Hedda Gabler" have been going head to head this spring. Just a day before the National Theater Company of Korea's production at the Myeongdong Theater in central Seoul opened on May 8, the LG Arts Center Seoul's version of Henrik Ibsen's famous psychological drama premiered May 7 with Lee Young-ae in titular role. Directed by Jun In-chul and based on Richard Eyre's contemporary adaptation, the LG Arts Center production transposes Hedda Gabler into the present day. It takes "a lighter, more psychologically accessible approach" to a story of a beautiful upper-class woman disillusioned after an impulsive marriage to an ordinary middle-class man, who returns from her honeymoon only to take her own life within two days. 'I didn't want to play someone just like me -- there's no thrill in that. There's more joy when I step into something different,' Lee said in an interview Tuesday, reflecting on her decision to take on the role of the manipulative, enigmatic antihero. "I read a review where a therapist said many of her clients reminded her of Hedda. That made me think -- even if we seem normal on the outside, maybe we all carry a little bit of Hedda within us. This production is my way of exploring that on stage." Her goal, Lee explained, was not to make Hedda overly tragic or aggressive. 'She's sensitive, but soft, too -- like someone who could live in any house, in any neighborhood,' she said. The show's promotional poster shows the actor smiling sweetly, but Lee said that Hedda's shadows lie just beneath the surface of innocence. Best known for her roles in Park Chan-wook's 'Lady Vengeance' and the globally beloved drama 'Jewel in the Palace,' she last performed in theater in 1993 in a small production at Seoul Arts Center. Lee said her return to the stage after three decades came with the right role at the right time. Lee credited her decision to return to live performance to her mentor, professor Kim Mi-hye, a renowned Ibsen scholar and her doctoral adviser at Hanyang University's Department of Theater and Film. 'Professor Kim had introduced me to many plays over the years and once said, 'If you ever return to theater, Hedda might suit you.'' The idea took root. After watching Jeon Do-yeon in Simon Stone's hit Korean production of "The Cherry Orchard" last year, Lee felt the pull of the stage more strongly than ever. 'I was approached for a different production (at the LG Arts Center). I guess I also had this desire to take the role of Hedda,' Lee said. 'Now that I'm in my 50s, having gone through childbirth and parenting, I feel I've gained the emotional depth that this character demands.' She admitted that 'the desire came with a heavier burden on the shoulders' than she expected -- but added that she has enjoyed every moment of it.
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Lily Allen to play destructive and betrayed character in new Hedda Gabler adaptation this summer
Lily Allen is set to take on the role as Hedda Gabler in a new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's play this summer at Theatre Royal Bath's Ustinov Studio. Directed by Matthew Dunster, Lily is the first to star in the new re-imagined show. Lily, 40, who split from husband David Harbout late last year, will return to the stage July 25 until August 23 thanks to the success of 2:22 A Ghost Story and The Pillowman. It's the role described as 'the hoop through which every actress with her eye on greatness must jump.' Ingrid Bergman, Peggy Ashcroft, Maggie Smith, Diana Rigg, Cate Blanchett, Glenda Jackson and Rosamund Pike have all played Ibsen's manipulative, tragic heroine Hedda. It will be only her third stage role, following a well-received stint in 2:22 A Ghost Story — in which she was directed by Dunster — and a slightly less well-received performance in Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman. She told DailyMail's Alison Boshoff last year: 'I am absolutely thrilled to be given the chance of playing Hedda Gabler. 'I adore working with Matthew Dunster and can't wait to explore this piece with him. 'I'm very excited to bring her to Bath next summer, in the intimacy of the Ustinov studio, it's going to be great.' Matthew added: 'Lily and I were talking about women we knew that were trapped in relationships where men had all the power, and how these 21st century women were still being controlled and destroyed. 'The conversation turned to plays where we could explore those ideas. We thought of Hedda Gabler and the connections were obvious, exciting and devastating. 'I relish watching Lily challenge herself, she pushes me, and I really value our ongoing collaboration. 'We want to offer up a Hedda that is absolutely for now.' Lily snagged an Olivier Award nomination for 2:22 A Ghost Story. Before then she had a small role as actress Elizabeth Taylor in the 2020 film How To Build A Girl, which was produced by her mother, Alison Owen, and based on the book by Caitlin Moran. She was also in the comedy series Margate. Lily enrolled in drama school in New York in 2023 and remarked that it was the first time she had studied since leaving school aged 15. She added that live theatre was: 'utterly terrifying; I don't think I've ever been more scared than before the opening nights'.
Korea Herald
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Two ‘Hedda Gabler' productions in May: Lee Hye-young, Lee Young-ae star in separate stage revivals
This spring, theatergoers will witness a rare theatrical coincidence: two productions of "Hedda Gabler," both starring major stars, are opening just one day apart. The National Theater Company of Korea will revive "Hedda Gabler" at Myeongdong Theater for the first time in 13 years, beginning May 8. The play was a critical and commercial success when it premiered in Korea in 2012, with Lee Hye-young's portrayal of the title role earning her best actress honors at both the 5th Korea Theater Awards and the 49th Donga Theater Awards. Now, Lee will undertake a reprise of the role that became a career-defining triumph. "Hedda Gabler" is Park Jeong-hee's first production at the National Theater Company since being appointed its artistic director last year. Performances run through June 1, with English subtitles available every Thursday and Sunday (except for May 18). On May 7, another production of "Hedda Gabler" opens at LG Arts Center Seoul in Magok, starring Lee Young-ae in her long-awaited return to the stage -- her first in 32 years. The run continues through June 8, directed by Jun In-chul. 'The allure of Hedda lies in her complexity. She's a woman with no single 'right' answer. I was drawn to the chance to present a new version of her," said Lee Young-ae at a recent press conference. Henrik Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler," first published in 1890, is regarded as one of the most significant works of modern drama. Its protagonist Hedda, who chooses to go by her maiden name rather than her husband's, defied 19th-century gender norms with her assertion of female autonomy -- earning the play its reputation as a 'female Hamlet.'
Korea Herald
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Two 'Hedda Gabler' productions in May: Lee Hye-young, Lee Young-ae star in separate stage revivals
This spring, theatergoers will witness a rare theatrical coincidence: two productions of "Hedda Gabler," both starring major stars, are opening just one day apart. The National Theater Company of Korea will revive "Hedda Gabler" at Myeongdong Theater for the first time in 13 years, beginning May 8. The play was a critical and commercial success when it premiered in Korea in 2012, with Lee Hye-young's portrayal of the title role earning her best actress honors at both the 5th Korea Theater Awards and the 49th Donga Theater Awards. Now, Lee will undertake a reprise of the role that became a career-defining triumph. "Hedda Gabler" is Park Jeong-hee's first production at the National Theater Company since being appointed its artistic director last year. Performances run through June 1, with English subtitles available every Thursday and Sunday (except for May 18). On May 7, another production of "Hedda Gabler" opens at LG Arts Center Seoul in Magok, starring Lee Young-ae in her long-awaited return to the stage -- her first in 32 years. The run continues through June 8, directed by Jun In-chul. 'The allure of Hedda lies in her complexity. She's a woman with no single 'right' answer. I was drawn to the chance to present a new version of her," said Lee Young-ae at a recent press conference. Henrik Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler," first published in 1890, is regarded as one of the most significant works of modern drama. Its protagonist Hedda, who chooses to go by her maiden name rather than her husband's, defied 19th-century gender norms with her assertion of female autonomy -- earning the play its reputation as a 'female Hamlet.'
