Yerma

This tragedy by Lorca has been little-performed in this country, at least compared with his other tragedies: Blood Wedding and Bernarda Alba. It’s hard to say why, there’s a simplicity about the play that’s appealing and the theme of childlessness is particularly topical.

Above all in Yerma, there’s a reminder that Lorca was a poet first. The use of verse and song to illustrate the action gives the play some potency; a reminder that even the loveliest and innocent of folk songs can hide some darker truths.

In one respect, it’s a strange choice for a production; the tiny Jermyn Street venue sometimes seems overwhelmed by actors as the cast of 19 jostle for position. But this does reflect the rather claustrophobic atmosphere of a village where everyone knows everyone’s business and, besides, the multitude of female parts makes it a good choice for any company with a preponderance of actresses.

Director Diana Hillier captures the potency of the play well. What is lost is some of the small-mindedness of the village and the backbiting of the villagers – there’s not enough nastiness here. But the evocative music, courtesy of Edmund Jolliffe, is a definite plus, as is the Greek Chorus-like appearance of the villagers.

As Yerma, Tracey-Anne Liles has an expressive face that mirrors the wife’s despair at her childless marriage. Vocally, she doesn’t really achieve the level of desperation at her situation; the yearning for a child is there all right, but not the inherent anger. There’s good support from Lynne Austin as the down-to-earth pagan woman, dispensing homely advice (and a reminder of Lorca’s jaundiced opinion of conventional religion).

The disappointment is in the male roles. Neither Dean Lyle’s Juan, the husband who puts wealth above his wife’s happiness, nor Ross White’s Victor, the only man who had roused any form of sexual passion in Yerma, are able to generate much in the way of excitement.

I’d certainly like to see this play again; a stronger troupe of actors (particularly in the male roles) could bring a lot more life to it. But Hillier’s production is not a bad stab at a complex scenario.

– Maxwell Cooter