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:

25 September 2009

This NTS production presents (Rona Munro’s) second stab at an adaptation of (Federico Garcia Lorca’s) very Spanish tragedy. As with all translated works it’s difficult for monolingual audiences to judge whether this is a piece with its tongue cut out, but even before a word is spoken the visual links to its Iberian origins are clear.

Bright 1930’s Andalusian stone finds new form in an off-white ensemble of a living room that’s all leather and mirrors; designer (Laura Hopkins’) well-rendered replica of gangland gaudiness is the home of a woman whose girlfriends must surely include some Old Firm Footballers’ wives.

The house holds domineering mother Bernie (Siobhan Redmond) and five daughters, all recently bereaved after the death of Bernie’s husband. The shady family business is the backdrop for their struggle for some semblance of sanity in the aftermath. It wouldn’t be a Glaswegian tale without splashes of caustic...

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