Fuente Ovejuna

Synopsis

Following the personal stories of a town's civil disobedience against unjust rulers, the story is told through the use of drama, dance, song and poetry. The commander, a womaniser, is attempting to seduce a village maiden. Her peasant lover risks his own life to threaten the commander allowing the maiden to escape. Enraged, the commander orders the peasant's murder and the beating of the girl's father, while he kidnaps the girl to inflict his revenge. When the young woman finally returns to the village, having been tortured and raped, she shames the women of the town into killing the commander. The townspeople of Fuente Ovejuna take vengeance on their tyrannical commander and the entire town becomes protagonist when everyone takes the blame for his murder. Please Note: This play deals with adult themes and has several violent scenes. Not recommended for children or any one who is easily offended.

Our Review:

Andrew Girvan - 18 August 2010

Stepping into the railway arch theatre at Southwark Playhouse, you know you are in for something a little bit different with Tangram Theatre Company's latest production. Confronted with a live band, the night I attended playing incredibly tight early rock and roll covers, I'm pretty sure the lights - the only lights on the rig - got brighter when the actors made their way on stage, making the space feel even starker.

This production of Fuente Ovejuna is the theatre of t-shirts and trainers, where actors become characters because we are told so, not because of costume changes or effects. This is an interesting way to tackle the story of a civic uprising in 15th-century Andalusia, but the cast are playful enough to carry off paper-crowned, TV host royalty and the herding of stuffed toy sheep.

What emerges is strangely engaging: actors sit amongst the audience, at one point the entire show is moved through to the bar for a "secret meeting". Although we a...

Read more of the review

Latest User Review

No reviews yet

Click here to add your review