Love, loss and longing in contemporary Ireland

“Emmerdale meets Midsommar” is how Patrick J O’Reilly describes his adaptation of Federico Garcia Lorca’s timeless tragedy Yerma.

Set in contemporary Ireland against the shadows of the Cooley Mountains, a turmoil lurks beneath a family gathering at a christening. Tormented by the social stigma of being in a childless marriage, Yerma and her husband’s strained relationship is laid bare and what starts as a joyful occasion soon spirals into turmoil.

Will Yerma’s yearning for a child drive her to despair, or can she find a way to defy societal expectations?

O’Reilly, who also directs the Tinderbox production, describes his adaptation as a “feverish mix of passion and desire”, which he hopes will “challenge audiences perceptions” of rights for women and other minority groups.

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Yerma was written during a time where the only place for a woman was to sit at home and raise children and yet almost 100 years later, its themes of marriage, motherhood and societal expectations remain relevant today.

This can be seen in Irish voters rejecting proposed changes over the definition of family and the reference to a ‘mother’s duties in the home’ within the Irish Constitution earlier this year.

“I feel we are on the cusp of really trying to incite change for women to have equality and autonomy over their bodies,” he says.

“But I also think in recent times the narrative has become much more vitriolic and poisonous, in terms of direct insults to women about having children or not having children, and then the direct result of that is the stigma and the shame.

For me, this play is about that world between patriarchy and matriarchal society, and how women need to have the right to express who they are, and what they want

—  Patrick J O’Reilly

“As Irish people, it’s something that we are entrenched with in terms of Catholicism, religion and the role of women,” adds O’Reilly, adding that the oppression of women’s rights is a global problem.

The recent controversy surrounding Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate, US senator JD Vance, and his comments about “childless cat ladies” directed towards US vice president Kamala Harris is yet another example of how societal norms attack women.

“Kamala Harris has been getting such critical feedback about being an older woman and not having children,” explains O’Reilly.

“It’s been interesting doing this adaptation as Yerma is feisty, bold and she speaks her truth. Yet when women like Kamala Harris have the bravery and courage to speak out, suddenly they’re called hysterical women.”

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O’Reilly hopes this production portrays Lorca’s message for contemporary audiences.

“For me, this play is about that world between patriarchy and matriarchal society, and how women need to have the right to express who they are, and what they want.

“I feel this is a play for today that directly attacks that in a way that’s very theatrical, challenging and provocative.”

Belfast-based O’Reilly, who grew up in Co Louth, sets much of the play in a car park on the Dundalk Road, between Newry and Dundalk.

“It’s a very barren landscape with the forest as a backdrop. While the christening party is in the hall, a lot of the friction and conflict actually happens in the car park.

“We are going to have a real car on stage, which represents Yerma feeling trapped by the society that holds her in, and how she is trying to break free from that,” he explains.

Derry actress Caoimhe Farren (Derry Girls, The Woman in the Wall) stars in the title role, alongside Hazel Clifford, Stefan Dunbar, Matthew Forsythe, Laura Hughes, Sophie Robinson and Niamh McAllister.

In adapting this European classic, O’Reilly admits his challenge was being faithful to the integrity of Lorca’s original work, whilst “having the bravery to take risks with the material”.

“I want this production to take your breath away. Lorca’s words are incredibly poetic, poignant and strong. I have retained most of his poetry within the play, but I did feel really important to create a contemporary dialog of text.

“We’re not recreating a textbook Yerma play, but we’re doing what theatre needs to do and evolve by making sure that the work we make is reflecting back the themes that are most contemporary in our present day.

“What we have made is very physical and very visual. I want the audience to be taken on a journey where they completely will invest in her, in her choices and her bravery. Anyone who feels that sense of oppression, hopefully will feel that release through the play.”

Yerma runs from October 10 to November 3 at Belfast’s Lyric Theatre as part of the Belfast International Arts Festival 2024. Age recommendation 15-plus. Belfastinternationalartsfestival.com