Lily Allen to star in new Hedda Gabler adaptation in Bath

Lily Allen will return to the stage next summer in Bath.

Allen, who has previously appeared in 2:22 A Ghost Story (which won her a WhatsOnStage Award in 2022) and The Pillowman, will star in a new adaptation of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, titled Hedda. The piece follows a woman in a dead-end marriage who is attracted to another man – only for the situation to unravel.

The production is adapted and directed by Matthew Dunster (2:22 A Ghost Story) and will run in Theatre Royal Bath’s Ustinov Studio from Friday 25 July to Saturday 23 August 2025.

Allen said today: “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.”

Dunster continued: “Lily and I were talking about women we knew that were trapped in relationships where men had all the power, and how these twenty first 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.”

Further team members will be revealed in due course. Tickets go on sale to Theatre Royal Bath priority bookers at 10am on Saturday 4 May.

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