10 February,2010 06:48 AM IST | | L Romal M Singh
Hedda Gabler, the latest Ibsen production to hit the city is in town soon. We talk to Sheeba Chadha, the protagonist, on her experiences as she discovered Hedda
She's often referred to as 'female hamlet' of theatre, and is one of the most adored and loved female characters that Ibsen ever created. Hedda is in town this weekend and who better than Sheeba Chadha to portray the fabulous woman?
Romal Singh: How did you prepare for the role?
Sheeba Chadha: It's a great play and, while the role is to die for -- it's nothing without the play. Each character in the play is etched out with so much detail that it's difficult to say one is better or lesser than the other. I haven't watched any other production of the play, nor have I seen any of the famous film adaptations.
In that way we ensure we are fresh and spontaneous during rehearsals and readings of the play.
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LRMS: Do you think the play still inspires such shock and awe, as it did when it first released?
SC: Copernicus and Galileo were outcasts because they said the earth revolved around the sun. D H Lawrence's books were banned when he wrote them -- today they are studied as literatures in universities. Same with Ibsen, it is said that he was far ahead of his time and his audiences. Today we understand Hedda not just as a character but a reflection of those times and yet the play is so contemporary -- we could be talking about today!
LRMS: Were there any problems faced while playing out the character?
SC: In my opinion that's the best thing about great playwrights -- their work is timeless. Like Shakespeare continues to be the most performed playwright in the world, even after 400 years. Same with Hedda, it is supposed to be one of the most performed plays in the history of drama. I hear that there were 33 new productions of Hedda Gabler in the year 2008 alone. Each production will find something new in what Ibsen was trying to say and I don't think that these are time or culture specific!
LRMS: Did you discover anything about yourself during the preparations and the rehearsals that helped you portray Hedda in a more convincing way?
SC: Of course, the fact that there is a bit of Hedda in all of us! One learns to sympathise and more interestingly empathise with a character like Hedda -- her reasons and motivations, even as you question them, they become your own. Strange, but true!
LRMS: What were the biggest obstacles you faced?
SC: It's not an easy play. And all of us (the cast), had to come together to find not just the truth that there is to Ibsen's words, but to find the echoing truth in our own voice. It's a 120 year old play. We had to use several translations to create our own interpretations and then play them out in our own ways.
LRMS: One reason why you'd want anyone to watch the play.
SC: The simplest reason is that, we in India don't get as much of Ibsen as we do of Shakespeare or even Brecht. We now have an annual Ibsen festival in Delhi, but unfortunately only in Delhi.u00a0 Ibsen is said to be the godfather of modern theatre, we need to explore, and be exposed to more of his work. I hope our play will touch a chord with the audiences.
LRMS: Do you think Henrik Ibsen is being revisited more often these days, with films and plays being made like never before on his works?
SC: Ibsen is a very important voice in the world of literature and theatre. However post the Ibsen Centenary in 2006, there have been several revivals of his works across the world leading to several new productions. We even had a production of Hedda Gabler in Chinese at the recent festival in Delhi, but unfortunately it performed only in Delhi.
LRMS: Films or theatre, prefer either or both, and why?
SC: I've been doing theatre since I was a child, but movies only for a little over a decade. Theatre is one of the most important things in my life, I do like acting in cinema, but it's not the same thing.u00a0 In any case they are both very different mediums -- one is a live, pulsating audience and the other is all about technical perfection -- very different in my opinion -- though both involve performances.
LRMS: What's up next?
SC: The week after Hedda, I set out on an all India tour of The Blue Mug, directed by Atul Kumar, along with Vinay Pathak, Rajat Kapoor, Ranvir Shorey , Munish Bharadwaj and Konkana Sen. We will perform in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad before we come to Bangalore in April. Yes, there are also the films -- Tina Ki Chabi, directed by Amit Saxena, Zokkomon and West is West!
LRMS: Why did you'll choose Bangalore for the premiere?
SC: Bangalore is special for many reasons. I've been performing here consistently for the last 5 years. Also, the company producing this play is Bangalore based. So we wanted to start in Bangalore, before going on to Mumbai and Delhi.
LRMS: Have you performed here beforeu00a0 and what do you think of the audience?
SC: I'm very familiar with Bangalore; I've performed there several times. I first performed there nearly 15 years ago when we did Eunesco's Chairs. I've come with The Blue Mug in 2005 and 2009; The Seduction of Lady Anne in 2004 and 2005 and Rajat Kapoor's C for Clown in 2005.u00a0 The Bangalore audience is absolutely super. Very receptive and very giving. It's great to perform there.
Catch Hedda Gabler, A Just Theatre Production
At: Ranga Shankara, JP Nagar
On: February 12, 13 and 14
Call: 2649 3982
