The House of Bernarda Alba explores themes of repression, passion and conformity through the depiction of a matriarch’s domination of her five daughters. Described by the author as “a drama of women in the villages of Spain”, the deliberate exclusion of any male character from the action helps build the high level of sexual tension that is present throughout this masterpiece.
Written in 1936 just before the civil war broke out, the play was first performed in Buenos Aires in 1945. It was banned in Spain until 1963, partly because of its political implications and partly because the behaviour and language of the characters was regarded as shockingly immoral. A small theatre club was allowed to put on a single performance in 1950, but the regime tried to ensure that it would be given no publicity.
Federico García Lorca (1898-1936) , poet and dramatist, was one of the greatest Spanish writers of the 20th century. He was killed by nationalist troops at the age of thirty-eight at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War and two months after completing The House of Bernarda Alba
Dates for Cervantes Theatre performances are as follows:
Evening Performances: 6th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th February all at 19.30
Matinee Performances 3rd,4th,5th, 6th, 7th, 11th and 13th February all at 14.30
Evening performances are currently bookable online. We haven’t yet opened online bookings for the matinee performances as these are being held for schools performances.
