Sixth Form Spanish students enjoyed a cultural trip to London to see a production in Spanish of their A level set text, ‘La Casa de Bernarda Alba’ at the Cervantes Theatre.
The play is written by one of Spain’s greatest 20th century writers Federico García Lorca who was killed by nationalist troops at the age of thirty-eight at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. The Cervantes Theatre is London’s first venue dedicated to showcasing Spanish and Latin American plays, performed both in Spanish and in English. Through its bilingual programming, the theatre encourages Spanish/Latin American/British cultural exchange, and it is becoming a reference point in London for Spanish-speaking culture and heritage.
The students found watching the production a valuable addition to their classroom learning and afterwards made the following comments:
Kate, C: “The performance was a great way to learn about Spanish society in the 1930s as the play explores themes of repression, passion and conformity through the depiction of a matriarch’s domination of her five daughters.”
Tom D: “I was impressed by the set and how the house was made to look like the inside of a sterile prison with thick, white walls, and iron bars at the windows to symbolise the lack of freedom for women in rural 1930s Andalucía.”
Fiona T: “I found it really refreshing to be able to experience the play in person - seeing it interpreted in a way that was different from how I had interpreted the book has given me a new perspective on the characters and themes which we have to analyse for our exams.”
As well as going to the theatre, the students enjoyed a visit to Covent Garden and Tate Modern where there was time to admire some classic Picasso paintings and sculptures. The day ended with a tapas supper at Camino Restaurant, King’s Cross where the students had the opportunity to practice their conversational Spanish whilst speaking with the Spanish-speaking waiters.
Mrs Scott-Somers, Head of Modern Foreign Languages and subject lead in Spanish commented: “We feasted on tortilla española, patatas bravas, padrón peppers, calamares and of course, some delicious chocolate con churros. We did not quite make it to Spain but we enjoyed a flavour of the Iberian Peninsula in London.Olé.”
Please see below for a gallery of pictures from the trip: