The House of Bernarda Alba: a modern adaptation

Federico Garcia Lorca, Rona Munro

• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Year: 2009
• Print ISBN: 9781408126967
• eBook ISBN: 9781408143957
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Drama
• Index: Literature

Following the gangland execution of her husband, the formidable matriarch Bernarda Alba will do anything to safeguard her family's dubious fortune and the future of her five daughters. A deal is struck - a marriage of convenience between her eldest girl and the son of a business rival. All Bernarda has to do is ensure that the wedding happens, and quickly. Five headstrong daughters cooped up in the family home in an emotionally charged atmosphere of bitter rivalry and repressed sexuality make that an epic challenge.

One of the most celebrated European dramas of the 20th century, the play was finished by Lorca shortly before he was executed in Spain for his left-wing politics. He described it as a "drama of women in the villages of Spain" - a theme that is electrifyingly transposed in this version to the tough communities of Glasgow's East End. Faithfully preserving Lorca's sense of boiling tension and impending tragedy, this adaptation brings a classic text thrillingly up to date. This text was published to coincide with the world premiere of the adaptation, a production by the National Theatre of Scotland in 2009.

Scene Three

The front room of Bernie’s house. A few days later.

All the young women apart from Adie are busy emptying and sorting boxes of paperwork and computer disks.

Penny is with them.

They are all weary and deeply unenthusiastic about the task, apart from Agnes.

Adie’s love theme is faint upstairs. It is raining heavily and relentlessly. The rain continues until nearly the end of the play now.

Agnes ( pushing one box aside) That’s all receipts.

Marty (busy with calculator) Give it to Melly.

Maggie (sarcastic) Is Peter coming over later to help you ‘audit the accounts’, Agnes?

Agnes No.

Upstairs Adie’s music has finished.

Maggie (calling upstairs) Adie! Adie, get down here!

The same song starts again from the beginning.

Melly She’ll be lying in her bed.

Penny There’s something up with that girl. She can’t keep still, she’s shaking all over like she’s got a temperature or a daddy-long-legs between her tits.

Marty Yeah, well, we’re all sick here, Penny.

Maggie Except Agnes.

Agnes That’s right. I’m feeling great. If you don’t like it, you can eat it.

Maggie See, I always thought it was your looks that were your best feature, Agnes, but, you know, your manners are right up there, eh?

Agnes Christ, I can’t wait to get shot of the lot of you.

Maggie Oh, how’s that going to work? You going to put us on the street? You think Mum’ll stand for that?

Marty Change the record, will you!

Agnes You’ve woken up now, haven’t you? Big ugly Agnes with her head full of numbers, let’s all rip the piss out of her because she canny walk in heels. Well, Melly’s got knock-off Manolos, you’ve got a Magimix but I’ve got a life.

Maggie Yeah, yeah.

Melly Aw, the sound of that rain is cracking my heid open! Draw the curtains, Penny, I canny stand to look out.

Penny draws the curtains.

Marty I couldn’t sleep last night for the rain on the roof.

Melly Neither could I.

Maggie I got up to get something to warm me. The rain died down for a moment. There was this tiny window in the clouds and the moon looked out. Then it was just dark again.

Penny The gutters were running when I was letting the strippers in. The rain was washing the muck in the door. That was about one, when Peter Romanov was dropping you off round the side, Agnes.

Maggie God, that late? Oh, you’re such a party animal, Agnes. What time did he leave?

Agnes What do you care?

Melly Must have been about half one.

Agnes How do you know?

Melly I heard his car.

Penny But I saw it still out there at four when I was locking up.

Agnes It can’t have been him.

Penny You can’t mistake that car.

Marty I heard it revving after four.

Maggie Well, how weird is that?

Pause.

Penny So, Agnes, are we going to need our wedding hats?

The other women look at each other.

Agnes Oh, I don’t know. It’s early days.

Marty It’s so strange, isn’t it? In the midst of grief you just turn towards life, don’t you? You think that’s what’s going on, Agnes? True love born out of trauma, eh?

Agnes I’m not saying I’m in love.

Melly Well, I’d have him.

Agnes There’s a lot to talk about. He helps his father like I helped Tony. We see what needs to be done for our families. That’s all.

Marty So you’ve not snogged him then?

Agnes Well, of course, but that’s not the point, is it?!

Melly Agnes, have you even shagged him?

Agnes We get on fine, all right? Is that so surprising?

Melly Agnes, honey, we’re really not getting at you, we just want to know what he was like.

Agnes Fine. Everything works. What do you want to know?

Penny Oh darlin’, just that you’re happy.

Agnes Of course I am. He’s very . . . considerate.

Marty That’s it?

Agnes Marty, I was choking on my own heart. It’s all still just . . . awkward. Is that what you want to hear? I’m being honest. We’ve got to get to know each other. It’s never easy, is it?

Maggie I don’t think I’d have any problem shag...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Scene One
• Scene Two
• Scene Three
• Scene Four
• Methuen Drama Student Editions
• Methuen Drama Modern Plays
• Methuen Drama Contemporary Dramatists
• Methuen Drama World Classics
• Methuen Drama Classical Greek Dramatists