The performance of Federico Garcia Lorca's play 'Blood Wedding' at the Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne was a little disappointing.
In Blood Wedding a young 22 year old bride leaves her wedding reception, her family, friends and a noble groom with her old flame; and inadvertedly the man who is married to her pregnant cousin. When they realise that the two have left together, a chase begins. The couple are captured, the groom and lover fight and are killed. The bride returns to her home to beg the grooms mother to kill her, so that she can die defending the man she loved. Her request is corned by the mother-in-law, who holds no regard for her beauty, purity or sorrow.
Despite Marion Potts direction, the poetic bi-lingual dialogue presented by the cast appeared to be inadequately prepared, over acted, and poorly represented. The characters lacked passion and seemed disconnected. The whole play failed to engage me.
Visually however, the stage design was simple and beautiful. The golden gravel and pools of hazy mid day light evoked an arid European landscape and palpably portrayed the sweltering hear of a Spanish Summer wedding.
One of the most realistic and enjoyable scenes was when the families gathered together, to joyously dance and celebrate the union of the couple. In that moment the characters seems to loose themselves in spontaneous movement and relate naturally to one another.
