Isit and watch intently as the ensemble stand before me, taking turns at random to count to twenty, eyes closed, faces showing expressions of complete concentration. A seemingly simple feat, anyone who has ever attempted theatrical ensemble work will be familiar with the difficulty of this exercise, which involves counting from one to twenty, where no two members may say the same number simultaneously.
The intangible bond of the group that was made apparent in their warm-up carried solemnly through the entire play. The actors were not performing as individual characters, but working together as an ensemble. Not for one second was the faith of a character lost, a line forgotten, or a silence unintentional. Brittany Ashworth and Ellen Jones’s jointly directed rendition of Frederico Garcia Lorca’s Blood Wedding, introduces most characters not by name, but rather by familiar relation. As such, the play centres around the arranged marriage between the Groom (Tom Garton) and Bride (Chloë Wicks), who still harbours feelings for a past lover, Leonardo (Alex Khosla). Set in the early 1930s, this lyrical drama tells a tale of raw human grief, family honour, and rebellion against the overpowering restraints of a rural Andalusian existence.
Though a tragedy, the cast have successfully incorporated subtle moments of physical comedy which provide a welcome break from the solemn atmosphere of the rest of the play. Additionally, the intensity and drama of the acting is broken up with elements of choreographed dancing and singing. The songs are accompanied at different times by two guitarists, a cello and a violinist set to original music written by Genevieve Dawson. The lullaby sung in Spanish in harmony by the Bride and Mother-in-Law (Olivia Charton-Jones) in the second scene of Act One, which foreshadows much of the tragedy ahead, effectively incorporates the beauty of the original Spanish verse.
This production of Blood Wedding, or Bodas de Sangre , has stayed true to its Spanish roots. Despite the risk of losing its meaning in translation by singing the lullaby in Spanish, the emotions, regardless of language, are well-captured and preserve the original spirit adding authenticity to the play.
To describe any production in one word is a great challenge. Confused Production’s Blood Wedding is the exception to this rule. Passion.
five stars
Blood Wedding is at the OFS from Tuesday – Saturday, 7.30pm
