In Memoriam: Federico García Lorca, Spain’s greatest poet ‘appears’ in Ronda

Federico García Lorca was a poet, dramatist and musician. He was also a homosexual at a time when it was illegal to be so. Born in 1898, he was assassinated at the behest of General Franco shortly after the coup d’état which led to the Spanish Civil War. He was just 38 years old. Our blogger Paul Whitelock has been a ‘lover’ of Lorca since his university days.

Lorca’s Andalusian Trilogy

The most significant poet and dramatist of his generation, Lorca is especially famous for his Andalusian Trilogy of plays: Bodas de Sangre, Yerma and La Casa de Bernarda Alba.

I studied Lorca at university in the early 1970s and subsequently taught his plays at GCE A-Level in the late 70s/early 80s.

I’ve seen all three performed on stage.

Whilst still a student we went off to Liverpool University to watch their Spanish undergraduates perform Bodas de Sangre. We liked it. I also saw it many years later at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. I still liked it.

I saw Yerma three years ago at the Cervantes Theatre in London with my actor son, Tom, playing the lead male role of Yerma’s husband, Juan. Of course, I loved it!

Tom Whitelock and Leila Damilola in Yerma at the Cervantes Theatre, London

I’ve seen my favourite of the three plays, La Casa de Bernarda Alba, three times. The first was an excellent production by the Playmakers of Stockton Heath, Warrington in the early 1980s. My ex-wife, Jeryl, herself now a professional actress, was in the cast. Although an amateur production, it was of a very high standard.

The second time I saw it was at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith in London in 1986, starring Glenda Jackson as Bernarda with Joan Plowright and Patricia Hayes. That was brilliant!

The third time was at the Teatro Espinel in Ronda in 2010. Unfortunately, the actress playing Bernarda was noticeably younger than the actresses who played her five daughters! Enough said!

I’ll let you guess which of the three versions I preferred!

My love affair with the works of Lorca continues nevertheless. So I was delighted to learn that there are two events featuring him coming up.