The House of Bernarda Alba at National Theatre

I first saw The House of Bernarda Alba at Cervantes Theatre in 2017(!) and was keen to see it performed on a bigger stage. So much so that I pushed the boat out a little and paid £67 for Lyttelton Circle Row A Seat 22.

And as back in 2017 the evening started with a visit to Culture Grub for a Chinese curry. I still use that restaurant for any visit to a theatre in the Southbank area.

Food and drink arrangements at National Theatre were less impressive and I had to have a beer out of a can at some ridiculous price. I consoled myself by thinking that the profit was going to a good cause. The front of house there always feels like an afterthought with lots of open space but little in the way of seating or refreshments. I have eaten there but it is always busy and always a struggle to queue and then find a space. Much better to eat elsewhere first. 

This was a new version of The House of Bernarda Alba and the set reflected that newness. I liked the minimalist clean lines of it and the use of three levels. This seems to be the fashion and it looked quite familiar.

The story was the same and the extra space allowed it to be told more naturally then in the confined spaces of Cervantes Theatre.

Less natural was the language and I was very surprised that a story set in a strict religious household would contain so much swearing, it was unnecessary to the story and jarred with the setting.

Luckily the occasional foul language was the only (minor) flaw in an otherwise excellent production. I was again gripped by the story, despite remembering much of the detail, and fully engaged with Bernarda Alba, her daughters, her mother and her servants. Each one had motives and aspirations that created the tension that drove the story.

Federico García Lorca, who was Spanish, is recognised internationally as a great playwright and The House of Bernarda Alba as one of his major works; this production did it full justice.