Stuck in a loveless marriage to intellectual George Tesman (Denis Lill), the ambitious Hedda Gabler (Diana Rigg) hungers for a life her husband can't provide. Then a former flame, the successful Eilert (Philip Bond), enters the picture, violence and blackmail aren't far behind.

Diana Rigg is the manipulative Hedda, who will not or cannot conform to what society considers "normal" for a woman.

The arrival of her ex-lover gives her the opportunity to determine someone else's fate.