Chilling tale of a stage star in her nightie

THE play Hedda Gabler is usually performed in stifling Victorian period dress, adding to its gloom and sense of despair.

Henrik Ibsen’s brooding 1891 tale of a bored and neurotic newlywed chills the audience with all the icy darkness of its Norwegian setting.

So a sexed-up modern dress production, in which Hedda spends most of her time in a revealing negligee, might seem like a welcome change.

But not, it would appear, for leading lady Ruth Wilson (pictured). With temperatures dropping outside, the 35-year-old actress is said to have been left freezing on stage at the National Theatre in London.

One playgoer told the Daily Mail: ‘We were kept out and the theatre doors kept closed to keep the heat in.

‘A member of staff said it was cold on stage and actors and actresses had asked for the heat to be upped. It can get pretty cold on stage especially if you are wearing what looks like a silk strappy nightie with bare legs and arms.

‘When we were finally let in Ruth Wilson as Hedda was slumped over a piano, bare footed, wearing a dark dressing gown. I noticed she kept the dressing gown on for ages before taking it off.

‘If it’s so cold on stage in that frock you’d think the stage manager or costume department might give her something else to wear. Or maybe they just think a scantily clad Ruth Wilson on posters and on stage would be better than a more wrapped up, warmer Ruth Wilson.’

Another said: ‘Ruth looked cold in some scenes. It’s been freezing outside and it’s a long time to be in a state of undress.’

The National Theatre denied audiences were being held back to keep the heat in and said it was to keep Miss Wilson ‘fresh’. A spokesman added: ‘This is a modernday take on a period piece and the costume was chosen to reflect Hedda’s character and the modern setting.