BLOOD WEDDING

Blood Wedding by Spanish playwright Frederico Garcia Lorca and directed by Iain Sinclair is a powerful tragedy that looks at life, death and the role of women in a rigid patriarchal society. The play is set in a small rural village where tensions of past grievances run high. It opens with a son declaring to his mother his desire to marry a local woman. His fiancée is a hard-working and kind girl, but has a tangled past and a passion for another. Vibrant scenes with dancing, celebration and music cannot quell the underlying tensions that exist between the central characters, and ultimately results in passionate bloodshed. The excellent set design emphasises the minimalist reality of rural life in the first part of the play and creates a mythical and fantastical mood in the second. The cast is strong and memorable, particularly Leah Purcell in the role of the mother. The choice of actors from a variety of cultural backgrounds give this historic piece a modern feel. While some may love this play for the violence, bloodshed and nightmarish characters, it’s certainly not theatre for the faint-hearted.

Until September 11, Sydney Theatre Company, Pier 4, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay, $30-77, sydneytheatre.com.au

BY ALEXANDRA ROYER-GUTHRIE