Following the death of their father and governed by their mother’s Primitive Baptist faith, the five Beckman daughters face a lengthy confinement within the walls of their remote Texan homestead. The youngest daughter’s passionate defiance of religious convention, however, soon unleashes the pent-up jealousy and sexual frustration of the whole female household with devastating results.
Homestead is a thrilling reimagining of Lorca’s masterpiece of desire and betrayal – The House of Bernarda Alba. A fatal collision of frontier values and post-war dreams. Communal hymns and boys with cars. Church elders and Elvis Presley.
Conor Baum (Shakespeare’s Globe) directs the UK regional premiere of this extraordinary reinvention of Lorca’s tragic story of oppression, desire and rebellion in an all-new outdoor production for Brighton Open Air Theatre’s 10th anniversary season, programmed in partnership with Brighton Festival.
Homestead is proudly sponsored by The Theatre Workshop and BN1 Arts and is presented by special arrangement with Casanovas and Lynch Literary Agency.
Conor Baum, director and producer, says: “It is an absolute pleasure to return to Brighton Open Air Theatre to celebrate ten years since the late Adrian Bunting’s extraordinary vision for a an outdoor theatre in Brighton was realised. Productions as a part of Brighton Open Air Theatre’s first season allowed me to hone my craft as both a performer and a director. These formative experiences were a major part of my creative journey and have left an indelible mark on the way I create work for the stage.
Homestead is a gut punch of a play; a radical and potent reimagining of Lorca’s classic ‘The House of Bernarda Alba’. Theatre, I think, has a singular and unique capacity to illuminate the current socio political climate. This is a story about women’s rights as much as it is about women’s wrongs. It asks profound and consistent questions about agency and power, freedom and control. As we continue to see the spectre of religious conservatism whittle away the autonomy of women closer to home than we would like, Homestead’s late-1950’s setting feels, at times, horrifyingly close to our own. This is a gripping drama of devastating poetry, deep pathos, dark humour and revolution.”
Homestead features an incredibly talented all female and non-binary company of local theatrical artists – Deborah Kearne (she/her), Sharon Drain (she/her), Madeleine Schofield (she/her), Rachel Mullock (they/them), Lexi Pickett (they/them), Ava Gypsy (she/her), Roisin Wilde (she/her) and Rosanna Bini (she/her) and features music specially arranged for the production by Temisis Conway (she/they) and Martha Pavelich (she/her).
DATES / TIMES
Monday 20th May – Doors 6pm / Performance 7pm
Tuesday 21st May – Doors 6pm / Performance 7pm
Wednesday 22nd May – Doors 6pm / Performance 7pm
Saturday 25th May – Doors 12pm / Performance 1pm
TICKETS / TICKET PRICES
https://www.brightonopenairtheatre.co.uk/event/homestead/
Full Price £15
Concession £13.50
Group of 4 £54
