Black and white, wrong and right, death and life. The walls of the convent that box in the stage are a perfect white, the glasses have to be polished just right. Everything has to be ‘perfect’ for the girls who dress in black, mourning for eight long years the death of their dear father. No one is allowed to break the boundaries, no one dare do anything ‘wrong’, but then… bang, bang, dead.

The haunting final words of the performance echo in my mind as I leave the theatre for a wet cycle home, still ringing in my ears as I fall asleep, leaving a lasting impression of an exceptionally intense and emotional play.

"The haunting final words of the performance echo in my mind as I leave the theatre for a wet cycle home, still ringing in my ears as I fall asleep..."

Federico García Lorca’s final play is pervaded by an atmosphere of death and despair. Following the death of their father, five Spanish sisters are imprisoned between the four walls of their home, where, 'during the eight years of our mourning, not even the wind from the street shall enter this house!' No engagement with the outside world, no glimpse of real life, no sense of reality - a prison-sentence for eight years. Although the eldest, Angustias, appears willing to accept her fate, especially following the prospect of promised marriage that will soon allow her escape, it is not her father to mourn. And so the other four sisters share in the mourning sentence that marks the extent of female oppression and subjugation in Spain.

The roles of La Poncia and the Maid who open the scene were fantastically enacted by Dolores Carbonari and Beth Hindhaugh, setting the scene and providing comment alongside the action of the play, aligning with the audience and enabling an emotional communication of perspectives through the sharing of their internal thoughts in a way that really allowed the audience to feel involved in the tension that hovers throughout the drama.

Review: Darkness Falls

Opening with their dialogue in the kitchen, the scene is set and expectations for the dreaded Bernarda Alba rise in the audience. They are not disappointed. Sabrina Gilby brings a terrifying and brutal presence to the stage upon her entrance. Chanting in Latin, screaming instructions, shouting her orders and asserting her authority with the stabbing of her cane, and bearing a gun. She is not a woman to interfere with.

As well as brilliant acting by all five daughters, each portraying very different and distinctive characters, alluding to their separate back-stories and driving forces, the stage design and set was also effectively organised. The contrast of white walls and black costume worked well throughout the play to provide a continual visual juxtaposition and sense of suffocation of the girls in their black garments. The stark setting of a basic, single oak table to dine upon furthered this sense of bare minimalism, enforcing the claustrophobic atmosphere of the stage. This was accentuated in the play's final part, with the drawing-in of the walls to an even smaller space, squashing the players and truly giving a sense of their entrapment within the confines of their own home. This use of stage layout and colour worked well with lighting and truly set the tone for a convent-like imprisonment.

 "It leaves a lasting and intensely emotional aura in its wake"

Although atmosphere was built well, the first part of the play was surprisingly short, not allowing for a true exposition of the plot. The division of the performance into three parts, with two intervals, was also unclear and some confusion amongst audience members ensued as a result. After the closure of the curtain for the third time, with no farewell bow from the cast, the audience were left wondering if the performance was really over.

Yet, overall, it is a brilliant performance that establishes clear tone and character to induce tension and anticipation. It leaves a lasting and intensely emotional aura in its wake.

The House of Bernarda Alba is running from Tuesday 31rd January to Saturday 4th February at the ADC