The House of Bernarda Alba explores themes of repression, passion and conformity through the depiction of a matriarch’s domination of her five daughters. Described by the author as “a drama of women in the villages of Spain”, the deliberate exclusion of any male character from the action helps build the high level of sexual tension that is present throughout this masterpiece.

Written in 1936 just before the civil war broke out, the play was first performed in Buenos Aires in 1945. It was banned in Spain until 1963, partly because of its political implications and partly because the behaviour and language of the characters was regarded as shockingly immoral. A small theatre club was allowed to put on a single performance in 1950, but the regime tried to ensure that it would be given no publicity.

Federico García Lorca (1898-1936) , poet and dramatist, was one of the greatest Spanish writers of the 20th century. He was killed by nationalist troops at the age of thirty-eight at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War and two months after completing The House of Bernarda Alba

The House of Bernarda Alba is at the Aldwych Theatre, from 5 April to 25 April 2018 with performances in Spanish from Monday to Wednesday and performances in English from Thursday to Saturday.