Blood Wedding

This is a brilliant telling of a Lorca masterpiece, unexpectedly tucked away in Marrickville’s flight-path-dominated little theatre. But the regular noise of landing planes could not affect the spell of this great play, nor dim the edge of what is a tight, expert production by Guetamalan producer/director Diana Paola Alvarado.

Hot love and betrayal in a rural Spanish village is on Lorca’s list, with coercion and revenge killings in strong support. Based on a true story of fatal feuding between two families, Lorca lets rip. Ms Alvarado takes up the challenge 100%.

In a large professional cast for this theatre – 14 in all - the protagonists here are ordinary rural women confronting their own passionate natures and rebelling against the constraints of tight Spanish society.

Emilia Kriketos plays the girl who once had a serious relationship with Leonardo (Denis Troncoso), the only named member of the cast. But the pair have split, and now she’s to marry another (Sam Walter), much to the suspicious fury of his mother (Chloe Schwank).

The two women form the serious business of the play, long-faced and unforgiving. Emilia Kriketos is completely believable as a woman who is unable to put aside the passion of a long-ago affair; Chloe Schwank thrums with loss and feelings, overcome with perverted passion. They form a noxious bond.

The cast make a decent wedding ceremony, and a cold-hearted hunt when the pair take to the woods. There’s a truly blood-curdling fight that is thrilling to watch but gets the knife-wielding protagonists in an even worse jam than when they start fighting. The fight is as good as it can get. Marrickville draws a deep breath. 

All aspects of this production hit the mark: the setting of three wooden units that get spun around, the retirement round the perimeter of the entire cast as they watch the goings-on, the magical quality of the lights and sound as the show progresses.

Congratulations to Meg Anderson (Sets), Jasmin Borsovsky (Lighting), Diego Retamales (Fights) and Emilia Kiketos (Choreography). And to all who worked on this remarkable production.

Frank Hatherley

Images: Signature Photography by Kirsty Semaan @spbyks