Theatre - Blood Wedding

Frederico Garcia Lorca’s Blood Wedding is a ‘Spanish classic’, says Mike Wells, who will be directing a production of the play at Lewes Little Theatre this week. “It’s a finely drawn piece of theatre” he tells me, “The drama concentrates on a runaway bride in a Spanish village before the Civil War. The village has been torn apart by blood feuds and killings and the effects of these events have spread over into the wedding.” The source of the story is a true one, I learn. “Lorca read about it in the paper one day. It’s a very simple story but he gives it a wonderful poetry.” And in translation? “We are using a version by Ted Hughes, so it’s the product of two poetic imaginations. It’s some of the most intense writing that I’ve ever directed.”

The production is something of a collaborative effort. Lewes Little Theatre have teamed up with youth theatre group ‘Centre Stage’ to provide the cast whilst music comes from professional flamenco guitarist Tomas Jimenez. (Partner, Maria Jimenez, a professional flamenco dance teacher, is in charge of choreography). “Tomas is something of a virtuoso in his field,” says Wells. “And a lot of the music he will be playing he has composed for the production. The actors then have to interact with him on the stage. It’s a completely new venture for the group.” Fight scenes have been directed by Russell Floyd, a TV actor whose best known on-screen persona (DC Drummond in the Bill) is ironically more used to breaking up fights than designing them. ER