Harriet Walter in The House of Bernarda Alba - National Theatre - Review

Harriet Walter leads a superb cast in a new version of Lorca's The House of Bernarda Alba on the Lyttelton stage of the National Theatre in London. The play about an authoritarian household in 1930s Spain has been rewritten by Alice Birch and is directed by Rebecca Frecknall. The cast includes Lizzie Annis, Pearl Chanda, Rosalind Eleazor, Isis Ainsworth, Bryony Hannah, Thusitha Jayasundera, Eileen Nicholas and Eliot Salt. The set is designed by Merle Hensel.
Paul Seven Lewis asks: Does Ms Frecknall confirm the reputation she has built following her success with Cabaret at The Playhouse and A Streetcar Named Desire at the Almeida? Does Alice Birch's rewrite reinvigorate or ruin Lorca's original?
The House Of Bernarda Alba was performed at the National Theatre from November 2023 to January 2024.
Paul was given a review ticket by the theatre.
Production photos used in this review are copyright Marc Brenner.
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[@crj165]

I saw this today and absolutely loved it! Performances by Harriet Walter (Bernada) and Isis Hainsworth (Adela) were stand-outs to me. Thank you so much for this review!

[@TheatreReviewsWithPaulSeven]

I’m so glad you enjoyed it

[@thomasscottwilliams6672]

I saw this in previews and it was incredible and I think polarising, especially its oppressiveness

[@TheatreReviewsWithPaulSeven]

Yes, i loved it but someone I met the other day hated it.

[@bluebellbeatnik4945]

@@TheatreReviewsWithPaulSeven why?

[@TheatreReviewsWithPaulSeven]

@@bluebellbeatnik4945 They didn’t like the way it had been changed from the original. They thought the daughters were too much like contemporary women, which jarred with the 1930s setting.

[@postmanpat2964]

Wow! Looks like a fantastic play. Great review as always

[@TheatreReviewsWithPaulSeven]

Thank you. I did think it was great, and the more I think about it, the better it seems but, as I said in the review, some people walked out. So, not for everyone.

[@bluebellbeatnik4945]

I want to see this but it's TOO EXPENSIVE and I haven't had time to see it. It's frustrating. Is this available on NT at home?

[@TheatreReviewsWithPaulSeven]

I agree that National Theatre is getting quite expensive for a subsidised theatre. £96 for a tol price ticket! I’m sure it will be available on NTLive and NT At Home eventually.

[@vday16]

They just added it to NT at home this week

[@peaceforall1996]

Thank you for your review, very interesting! Personally I was not very impressed by this production, I feel that the set actually ended up detracting from the sense of oppression that is so crucial to this play. Apart from the fans at the beginning, the claustrophobia of the Spanish heat was not really there. A recent review in the Guardian sums up my feeling quite well! Still, looking forward to more reviews on this channel :)

[@TheatreReviewsWithPaulSeven]

Thank you for the interesting comment. I hadn’t thought about the heat. When I think about it, the adaptation wasn’t very Spanish at all; it could have been any authoritarian world. As to the set, I think they took the title to heart and made sure the House dominated. I thought it added to the sense that they were trapped, but I can understand why you felt differently. This production has divided audiences and critics. Like you, quite a few lamented the loss of the historical Spanish setting. They also thought the contemporary language jarred.

[@jwsuicides8095]

I'm sure it's an amazing production. I hope to see a recording of it on a streaming platform. National Theatre though have got to get their act together with regards to their racism. In recent productions they've cast some very inferior actors due to their racist attitudes...nothing justifies that. I remember over 40 years ago Equity being very involved with stopping racism, but what was the point if the NT now revisiting those old times? From what I can see of the casting in this it looks like they're still up to their retro attitudes.

[@TheatreReviewsWithPaulSeven]

As far as I know, NT practise colour blind casting which should ensure the best actors get the parts. Although the play is set in 1930s Spain, the cast, to me, look like a cross section of modern British society. There are two non-white actors in significant roles- Rosalind Eleazar and Thusitha Jayasunde- and both are superb.