Three generations of Singapore’s best actresses will share the stage in W!LD RICE’s electrifying new production of The House Of Bernarda Alba, Spanish playwright Federico Garcia Lorca’s classic tale of sexual repression, suppressed desires and family duty.
Claire Wong leads the award-winning all-female cast in the role of tyrannical matriarch Bernarda Alba. Chafing under Bernarda’s unrelenting rule are her five daughters, who will be played by Neo Swee Lin, Karen Tan, Serene Chen, Noorlinah Mohamed and Glory Ngim. Margaret Chan returns to the stage as Bernarda’s mother, Maria Josefa. Rounding out the powerhouse ensemble are Jo Kukathas, Sharda Harrison and Sharon Lim as members of the Alba household’s domestic help.
“I’ve wanted to stage a production of The House Of Bernarda Alba for many years,” confesses Glen Goei, W!LD RICE’s Associate Director and the man who will tell the stories of these ten women onstage. “But it’s a tough, complex piece. The actors involved truly have to be a cut above – they must be able to handle the depth, darkness and despair of Lorca’s text.”
After months of auditions, Goei finally assembled a cast that he feels might actually be too good to be true. “Sometimes, I think I should pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. Imagine getting to work with a cast so incredible that theatre veterans like Margaret and Jo are playing the supporting parts!” he enthuses. “It’s an incredible privilege and thrill to be working with each and every member of this cast.”
The simmering tensions of a conservative Spanish family reeling from the death of their patriarch will be transposed into Singapore’s rigid, rule-bound Peranakan society. “I was fascinated by the premise of the play – that Bernarda could demand that her daughters be shut in for eight years of mourning,” Goei muses. “There’s so much there about rules, tradition and keeping up appearances that is so strikingly reminiscent of our own lives here in Singapore.”
W!LD RICE Artistic Director Ivan Heng will be making his debut as costume designer for the production. “I’ve acted for Glen and designed sets for Glen,” says Heng, “When he told me his plans for this production, I was immediately drawn to the idea of designing costumes for him too!
“Right away, I could see in my mind’s eye the heavy, intricate lacework on the baju kebaya worn by Bernarda’s five daughters – that rich, physical layer of grief which serves as a constant reminder of their imprisonment within their own home.”
The House Of Bernarda Alba marks the next installment of the theatre company’s Masterpiece Theatre season, which aims to bring a world classic to the Singapore stage every spring. Earlier this year, W!LD RICE revived its boldly funny, all-male production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance Of Being Earnest.
“In many ways, this is the diametric opposite of Earnest,” Goei observes. “Where Wilde’s play was a light, satirical farce, Lorca’s is a dark, profound tragedy. The former boasted a cast filled with Singapore’s finest male actors – the latter will be performed exclusively by our very best female thespians.
“The one thing they have in common?” he laughs. “We firmly believe that, as local theatre goes, they’re both unmissable productions!”
SYNOPSIS
One matriarch. Five daughters. Eight years of mourning.
To keep up appearances after the death of her husband, tyrannical mother Bernarda resolves to seal her family off from the world – a decision that effectively compels her five daughters to give up love and happiness for a life of duty and obligation. Within the oppressive confines of the Alba household, tensions swirl and emotions run high. The arrival of a seductive suitor lays bare the bitter rivalries and repressed sexuality that lie at the twisted, tragic heart of Bernarda’s family.
An explosive tale of suppressed desires and jealousies, The House Of Bernarda Alba is a masterpiece of modern European theatre. It is the final – and possibly finest – play written by Spanish playwright Federico Garcia Lorca, completed shortly before Nationalist sympathisers murdered him in 1936.
Deftly transposed into Singapore’s rigid, rule-bound Peranakan community, W!LD RICE’s electrifying production of Lorca’s classic play features three generations of Singapore’s best actresses on one stage. Together with celebrated director Glen Goei, they bring to life an internationally acclaimed adaptation by Singaporean playwright Chay Yew (Porcelain, A Language Of Their Own). Designing The House Of Bernarda Alba are Wong Chee Wai (sets), James Tan (lighting) and Ivan Heng (costumes).
This thrilling production of one of the world’s greatest plays promises to be one of the highlights of 2014. Don’t miss it on any account!
TICKETING INFORMATION
Ticket Prices:
Previews: 12 & 13 March 8.00pm $45 ~ 65
Tue, Wed, Thu 8.00pm, Sat 3.00pm and Sun 2.00pm & 6.00pm $50 ~ 70
Fri & Sat 8.00pm $55 ~ 75
Prices exclude $3 SISTIC handling fee
Priority Booking: 6 – 19 January 2014
20% Discount exclusively for OCBC Card members
Early Bird: 20 January – 12 February 2014
20% Discount for OCBC Card members, SAFRA and PAssion Card members
15% Discount for General Public
