The House of Bernarda Alba

Synopsis

The House of Bernarda Alba follows the plight of the widow Bernarda. After her husband's death, she locks the doors and windows against the world and imposes a strict period of mourning on her five daughters. Under the shadow of the church and the rules of society, the women conflict and spiral into emotional chaos.

Our Review:

16 March 2005

It’s tempting to mistakenly date Federico Garcia Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba around the time of Chekhov’s similarly themed 1901 masterpiece, Three Sisters. In fact, its history is a more recent one – written in 1936 but not performed until 1945, and owing to copyright problems with foreign translations, not seen professional in London until 1973.

Two months after completing House, Lorca was murdered by supporters of Franco “for being a queer”. As with his death, the sexual and political also lay equally strong claims to his last play. While not overtly homosexual, the cruel denial of women’s natural desires provides parallels with the “love that dare not speak its name”. At the same time, the iron rod rule of the household makes a meaty metaphor for the oncoming fascist dictatorship of General Franco.

Both forms of repression and oppression are drawn out in Howard Davies’ fine production of David Hare’s fluid ne...

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Latest User Review

195.195.85.23) - 9 June 2005:

I FEEL DISSAPOINTED AND CHEATED BY THIS BIZARRE PRODUCTION.WHERE WAS THE FEAR? WHERE WAS THE POETRY? INSTEAD I WAS PRESENTED WITH INAPPROPRIATE LANGUAGE,OVERACTED MELODRAMA AND CHEAP LAUGHS.IS THIS AN EXAMPLE OF THE DUMBING DOWN OF THEATRE DESIGNED TO ENTERTAIN AN AUDIENCE INCAPABLE OF APPRECIATING LORCA'S SUBTLETY?...

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