PATRICK Marber's adaptation of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler has taken the play out of its historical context.

And the ambitious gamble has worked.

Whereas the constraints placed on the protagonist Hedda Gabler would have been evident in the original setting, this modern new version works on many different levels.

Following a sold-out run at the National Theatre earlier this year, Hedda Gabler is now showing at The Lowry as part of a UK tour.

Hedda and Tesman have just returned from their honeymoon and the relationship is already in trouble.  Trapped but determined, Hedda tries to control those around her in the most nasty and manipulative of ways, only to bring about her downfall.

Lizzy Watts’ portrayal of unlikely heroine is powerfully dark as she tries to battle against her entrapment in society’s norms -— marriage and material possessions. She longs for something but it is not clear what it is she is after, her frustration and feeling of entrapment leads her to manipulate and hurt those around her, and disturbingly wants the taking of one's life to be beautiful.

There is an almost Hamlet-esque quality to this play — the flower scene for example, the descent into almost madness, Abhin Galeya plays Tesman, who she has returned from honeymoon as a seemingly likeable nice bloke— adding yet another dimension to this new adaptation.

The solid cast deliver strong performances.

Brack, played by Adam West, is as manipulative as Hedda and exerts his power over her, turning the tables, in one of the most shockingly dramatic piece of theatre I have seen.

 Aunt Juliana played  by Christine Kavanagh, the only seemingly genuine person in this complex play.

This modern day adaptation puts under the spotlight the nature of relationships and self-interest. Maybe it is a play for modern times after all.