By Nina Goodland, Head of Front of House

When Lorca was marched out of his house and assassinated by fascists in 1936, few cared. But looking back now, we can see what a great dramatist he was. Throughout this year’s production of The House of Bernarda Alba, the Year 12 and 13 cast and crew succeeded in capturing both the struggle embodied by women against the patriarchy and the political tensions in the lead up to the Spanish civil war. The oppressed nature in which Bernarda’s daughters lived their lives reflects the grapple to break free from the male-dominated landscape of the early 20th century, but also holds relevance today.

Although there was no set team this year as there has been in previous productions, Mrs Moore worked rigorously with Mrs Smith, the production manager, in order to create the intense, white-walled set design. Having each daughter present on stage, separately lit, portrayed the entrapment both physically in the house and metaphorically in Spanish society at this time. The stark white lighting and walls contributed in giving a sense of the purity and celibacy that Bernarda imposed on her daughters. 

The artistic choice to contrast the naturalistic side of the play with stylised movement along with the red lights and intense music in the transitions brought excitement and a contemporary perspective. This mixture of style served to depict the repressed passion and inner emotional turmoil of the women in the play. This twist on the play made it even more unforgettable.

The authoritative Bernarda, played remarkably by Maddie Deverell in Year 13, ensures that all her daughters stay under her command so as to not get involved with men and taint the honour of her name. As the mother of five fatherless daughters, she appears to have become a patriarchal force herself. Her striking authority is seen specifically with both her first and last word on stage; ‘Silence!’, with which Maddie took on with great gusto. The daughters were equally as fascinating, each embodying the specific vice their character suffered from.  But through another perspective they worked together as an ensemble; it reminded me of the female choruses in Greek tragedy. The influence of Greek theatre in Lorca’s writing and Mrs Moore’s direction insinuates that, despite the thousands of years, not much had changed in regards to how women were viewed.

Watching Mrs Moore’s powerful adaptation of one of Lorca’s best works will undeniably resonate with me, especially as the final production that I watched as a student at Notting Hill. The hours of hard work put in by the excellent actors and the lighting, sound, hair, makeup and costume teams combined for an exceptional performance.  We hope our audience who watched the live stream or caught up with the recording online over the weekend enjoyed the production as much as we did.

Everyone who took part should be so proud!