by Federico Garcia Lorca. Translation by Jo Clifford.
Director
Sabrina Poole
Contact
sdpoole93@hotmail.com
Performance dates
9 – 11, 15 – 18 October 2025
Auditions
Monday 9 June 7pm – 10pm, Friday 13 June 7pm – 10pm, Saturday 14 June 10am – 1pm
Script
ISBN 978 1 84842 181 3 A digital reading copy is available from the director on request.
The play
Bernarda wields an iron-clad authority over her family. Following her husband’s death, she isolates herself and her daughters from the outside world, sealing them within the walls of their home to observe an eight-year period of mourning. In this suffocating confinement, the fervent desires, aspirations, envy, and resentment of the young women grow unchecked, culminating in a devastating tragedy.
The House of Bernarda Alba is the final work of Federico García Lorca, penned just two months before his assassination by fascist forces at the age of thirty-eight. This powerful tale of relentless repression was not intended as mere allegory but rather as a stark and urgent caution—one that remains strikingly relevant to this day.
This is an intense drama with big emotions. The family dynamic is central to the show and it will be integral to find believable relationships amongst the characters that are complex, messy, volatile, yet also, at times, tender and understanding.
Casting
*Ages are given as provided in the script, however, there will be some flexibility in order to build the right combination for final casting.
BERNARDA ALBA
60 years old – the uncompromising matriarch. Cold, ruthless, domineering.
MARIA JOSEFA
80 years old – Bernarda’s mad mother. Cuttingly observant through her madness.
ANGUSTIAS
39 years old – the eldest daughter. A dreamer crushed by the weight of expectation.
MAGDALENA
30 years old – the second daughter. Restless and cynical.
AMELIA
27 years old – the third daughter. Cautious and maternal.
MARTIRIO
24 years old – the fourth daughter. Uneasy, jealous, desperate to be loved.
ADELA
20 years old – the youngest daughter. Rebellious, passionate, tragically naïve.
LA PONCIA
60 years old – a bitter and viscous servant, with a maternal streak towards the girls. The only person in the play capable and willing to stand up to Bernarda.
MAID
any age. Nervous and overworked, an unwilling audient to the unfolding drama.
PRUDENCIA
50 years old – a neighbour. Gossipy and judgemental.
WOMEN IN MOURNING/BEGGAR WOMAN
Played by other members of the company or suitable for actors looking for smaller commitments/introductory roles.
Auditions
Auditions will take the form of group workshops, followed by text work in small groups. Please contact the director stating availability/preference for audition dates, you will be allocated a slot and receive audition pieces.
Rehearsals
Rehearsals will begin in early August and take place 2 – 3 times a week on evenings and weekends. Rehearsals will become more frequent as we move closer to performances. An exact rehearsal schedule will be decided after final casting.