1

Yerma − Learning Guide

About This Guide ...............................................................1Background Information ..................................................2Teaching Information ........................................................3Production Notes

Adaptation Details & Plot Synopsis................................11Find Out More...................................................................16

Key Design Elements ................................................5Performance Style .....................................................9Key Moments ...........................................................10

1

This learning guide supports the Young Vic’s production of Yerma, directed by Simon Stone, which opened on 29th July 2017 in London.

Our packs are designed to support viewing the recording on the National Theatre Collection. This pack provides links to the UK school curriculum and other productions in the Collection. It also has a plot synopsis with timecodes to allow you to jump to specific sections of the play.

Here you’ll also find all the information youneed to enable you to study theproduction and write about it in detail.This includes notes about all of the keyelements from performance style todesign. You’ll also find pointers for furtherresearch.

Yerma − Learning Guide

About

2

Cast

Her ........................................................................Billie PiperJohn ............................................................Brendan CowellMary ...........................................................Charlotte RandleVictor ...........................................................John MacMillanHelen .......................................................... Maureen BeattieDes ..............................................................Thalissa Teixeira

Creative TeamDirection ......................................................... Simon StoneWriter ................ Simon Stone (after Federico García Lorca)Design ............................................................ Lizzie ClachanCostumes ...................................................... Alice BabidgeLight ......................................................James FarncombeMusic and Sound ......................................... Stefan Gregory

Yerma − Learning Guide

Background Information

Recording Date – 31st August, 2017 Location – Young Vic, LondonAge Recommendation – 14+

Video .....................................................Jack Henry JamesCasting ....................................................... Julia Horan CDG

3

This production is particularly suitable for:

• Drama and theatre students exploring contemporary or reimagined versions of classic plays for A Level.

In particular you might like to explore:

• Simon Stone’s adaptation of Lorca’s play which moves the setting tocontemporary London and how this impacts on an audience’sunderstanding of and sympathy for the central character.

• The design of the production and how it reflects the characters’physical and psychological states.

• The role of women and mothers in drama across a number ofdifferent productions including Medea, Antigone, Hamlet and TheDeep Blue Sea.

Yerma − Learning Guide

Teaching Information

Other 20th century classics in the NT Collection

Production Date Playwright

The Deep Blue Sea 2016 Terence Rattigan

Les Blancs 2013 Lorraine Hansberry

Director

Carrie Cracknell

Yaël Farber

The Cherry Orchard 2011 Anton Chekhov Howard Davies

Translations 2018 Brian Friel

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 2018 Tennessee Williams

Ian Rickson

Benedict Andrews

A Streetcar Named Deire 2017 Tennessee Williams Benedict Andrews

4

Other productions of re-imagined classic plays in the NT Collection

Other productions featuring members of the same creative team

Treasure Island Lizzie Clachan - Designer

Twelfth Night James Farncombe - Lighting Designer

Director

One Man, Two Guvnors 2014 Josie Rourke

Production Date Playwright

Richard Bean

Production Date Artist

2014

2017

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Alice Babidge - Costume Designer2018

Yerma − Learning Guide

Teaching Information

5

The following notes have been compiled to help guide you through the significant design and performance aspects as you watch the production, or to remind you of them after you have watched it. You will also want to make your own notes and form your own opinions on the effectiveness of these aspects as you explore the production.

Key Design Elements: Set

The performance takes place on a traverse stage – there are audience members on two sides of the performance space and glass walls separate the performers from the audience. This gives a sense of entrapment, lack of freedom and coldness. Consider how the ability to see other members of the audience can affect your engagement with the play and its themes. The glass walls create a viewing chamber – a sense of voyeurism, we are intruding on intimate and emotional scenes between various different characters.

Throughout the play, changes are made to indicate the different locations:

• White carpeted floor of the flat.

• The set reflects the barren nature of Her; it is often entirely or almost empty. Set dressing includes, in several scenes, removal boxes. This never seems like a permanent or happy home.

• Black and chrome wheelie chair (upstage left) and a portable fan (downstage right) to indicate the location has changed to the office.

Yerma − Learning Guide

Production Notes

6

• Kitchen island stage left (hob and sink), grey L-shaped sofa upstage centre with a standard lamp next to it and a low glass and chrome coffee table in front of the sofa, light wooden dining table, with three matching wood and chrome chairs (all facing upstage). Potted palm downstage right, with two piles of coffee table books downstage centre. Downstage left, a silver table/stool with a pot plant. The set is dressed with various domestic items such as baby muslins, glassware, saucepan, laptop, crockery etc. It then reverts back to an empty space as the audience realise that this is not their baby, but Mary’s. The stage space is suddenly back to being an empty space with no furniture.

• Strings of party lights, one table upstage left with champagne bottles and glasses etc. The sense of party is created more by the movement of the actors and the letting off of party poppers. As the scene changes to 2am, the carpet is now AstroTurf.

• A tree, fully in leaf is placed downstage right as She becomes interested in gardening. Later the tree has brown leaves rather than green. Their beauty and age are fading, which again reflects her situation.

• The AstroTurf becomes white to indicate snow and is a very effective way of indicating emotional, as well as physical coldness.

Yerma − Learning Guide

Production Notes

7

Key Design Elements: Costume

The costume design is modern dress, but classic enough to not be specific to a particular year. References to the weather are often made through clothing – summer dresses (the festival), anoraks or coats, jumpers etc.

• Her: Grey, round neck, woollen jumper, short black leather skirt, bare feet or black loafers, large black handbag. Changes in Chapter Two to blue denim dungarees over a white short-sleeved t-shirt – She has become more ‘motherly’ in the audience’s perception but we then realise that it is not her child. Chapter Three – short lace dress, with short, wide sleeves. White sling backed heeled shoes. In the garden she wears a white, wide necked t-shirt, khaki skinny jeans and bare feet. Chapter four white t shirt and grey yoga leggings.

• John: Black slacks, beige jacket, tank top underneath, white shirt, and brown shoes. In Chapter Two he wears a grey short-sleeved t-shirt, dark tracksuit bottoms. Grey suit and open necked white shirt for Chapter Three.

• Helen: White blouse and white linen trousers with tan belt and brown shoes. A pink and cream patterned cardigan later.

• Mary: Light blue shirt, blue skinny jeans, white converse, sunglasses on her head in Chapter 2, grey jacket and nappy bag in Chapter Two.

• Victor: black jeans, beige mac, blue shirt over a white t shirt

• Des: Pink knitted dress (mid-thigh), yellow leather bomber jacket, white trainers, and gold hoop earrings. Des also wears a pink plastic poncho over denim shorts and a vest top in the festival scene.

Yerma − Learning Guide

Production Notes

8

Key Design Elements: Lighting

Brightly lit from above and both sides: this is a traverse configuration.

• At the beginning Chapter Three, strings of coloured bulbs provide the party location and atmosphere in a dimly lit stage (to suggest night time).

• Strobe lights in the festival scene (Chapter Six) create the mental state for Her, and it is highly disorientating for the audience too.

• Stark bright white lighting in the majority of scenes, although the scene in Her and John’s flat is softer, more yellow to represent comfortable and happy domestic environment.

• Intensity of lighting is important particularly as we move towards the scenes that take place at night.

Key Design Elements: Sound

• The scene changes are accompanied by a soundscape of female voices singing. They become increasingly discordant as Her begins to deteriorate mentally and emotionally.

• The music changes to heavy bass and cymbals in Chapter Six. The sound is more artificial rather than natural (possibly reflecting the way in which Her’s attitude to fertility has changed as she has gone through IVF). The music is increasingly discordant which can be (deliberately) uncomfortable for the audience.

• Note the way echo is used in some scenes – a heightened sense of emptiness, lack of warmth and comfort is created. This is particularly noticeable in Chapter Seven.

Yerma − Learning Guide

Production Notes

9

Performance Style

• Naturalistic dialogue and interactions.

• The set design makes the audience feel very voyeuristic – we are intruding in very intimate, distressing, domestic and emotional scenes. The naturalistic acting that takes place heightens this sense of life going on whilst the audience observes.

• Note directorial/adapter decisions where action does not have dialogue, for example the scene where John and Her look after Mary’s baby. The way in which Her and John interact, their body language and facial expressions in particular, provide all of the information that the audience needs. It is a helpful change of pace to allow a little relief, before the heightened emotion and vocal work of later scenes take place.

• Consider the way in which the lack of set in the majority of scenes means that characters are often on the floor – what does this tell us about status (in comparison to anyone standing, for example), mental states or the level of comfort characters do(n’t) feel in each other’s company? Note the way in which the director has used space to show the relationships too – some characters interact in close proximity to each other whilst others remain at opposite ends of the stage.

• It is important to consider how the traverse staging configuration also affects directorial decisions. How does the director ensure that both sides of the audience have equal understanding of, and engagement with, the action?

Yerma − Learning Guide

Production Notes

Key Design Elements: Wigs, Hair and Make-up

• Her wears her hair in a casual ponytail in Chapters One and Two. Her hair is worn down in Chapter 3 and by the end of the play is worn loose and wet. This is an outer expression of how Her changes from comfortable with her own physical identity to a chaotic, messy and unkempt version of herself at the end of the play. This also contrast sharply with the other characters whose appearance does not deteriorate in any way.

• All hair is worn naturally – the women wear longer hair in ponytails for example.

10

Key Moments

You might like to consider these key moments in particular when you are studying the production.

• Chapter One, relationship between John and Her. (00:00 to 8 mins 49 secs -please not that this scene includes very strong language and explicit sexual references)

• Her, discussing “my empty womb.” (44 mins – 47mins 15 secs)

• Victor and Her, noting the contrast in how Her interacts with Victor in comparison with John. (57 mins – 58mins 59 secs)

• Chapter Six, the festival. Note that this section includes strobe lighting. Note the combination of lighting, sound and performance to create the sense of chaos and desperation. (1hr 18 mins 53 secs – 1hr 25 mins 25 secs)

• Chapter 7 – “Coming Home”, the aftermath. Characterisation and interaction between John and Her, and the tragic ending. (1hr 25 mins 25 secs to 1hr 35 mins (end))

Yerma − Learning Guide

Production Notes

• The director has made the decision to use captions (a traditionally Brechtian technique) between the scenes/chapters. This highlights the pertinent issues that will occur in the next scene, but also indicates the passage of time. It is important that the audience understands the periods of time that elapse from one scene to the next, particularly as some of the scenes are very short. We are witnessing snapshots of much longer time spans.

11

Differences to Lorca's original

Yerma is the original name of the play by Lorca, which is the Spanish word for barren. Lorca described Yerma as a “tragic poem”. It is set in rural Spain and the social issues surrounding the role of women (i.e. bearing children and being domestic) were significant. Simon Stone updated Lorca’s Spanish play to set it in modern day London. Many of the original themes of honour, religion, nature and gender roles are updated for a modern setting.

• The character of Yerma is simply ‘Her’ in Stone’s version.

• Yerma’s anxiety about bearing a child in the original is catalysed by societal pressures of strict Christian morals. By staging his adaptation in a more secular modern day London, Stone’s central character internalises her obsession with having a child.

• Spanish names from the original are updated to English versions: Juan-John, María-Mary, Víctor-Victor.

• Various characters from the original: Dolores, the two sisters-in-law, the Old Woman, and six washerwomen are cut.

• Mary is Her's sister in Stone’s version.

• Stone created the characters of Helen (Her’s mother) and Des (Her’s friend).

• There are various plot changes, including Her and Victor being forced to sell their house, and Victor leaving Her.

• In the final scene, Stone’s central character kills herself rather than her husband.

Chapter 1 “Conception”: John and Her celebrate moving into their new home together. They joke about their relationship and their sex life and agree to try for a baby.

Scene 1.2 (0:08:49): Her’s mother (Helen) and sister (Mary) help move her things into the new house. They talk about how Mary’s husband has been cheating on her for years but she is now two months pregnant with his child.

Scene 1.3 (0:11:50): John has returned from a trip. John and Her talk about their

Yerma − Learning Guide

Adaptation Details & Plot Synopsis

12

sex life again. John suggests trying role play which she objects to. They have a small argument and John goes to bed early.

Scene 1.4 (0:15:25): Her bumps into Victor, and ex-boyfriend she hasn’t seen for 10 years but has just started a job at her place of work. She is slightly dismissive abouther relationship with Victor and surprised to find out Victor has a 2 year old child.

Scene 1.5 (0:19:50): Her is with her friend Des discussing Her’s new blog about trying for a baby. It is revealed Her got pregnant many years ago with Victor’s baby and had an abortion.

Scene 1.6 (0:23:52): Her and Helen talk about pregnancy and having children; Helen was an unaffectionate mother who barely hugged her daughters.

Chapter 2 “Disillusion” (0:28:05): Her is babysitting for Mary’s child and clearly loving the experience of caring for a baby. Mary resents the fact the child was well behaved for Her, calling him a ‘little bastard’ and swearing in front of him. She jokes about giving him to Her. Her has been trying for 2 years to get pregnant, and Mary suggests John is perhaps being unfaithful.

Yerma − Learning Guide

Adaptation Details & Plot Synopsis

13

Scene 2.2 (0:35:40): Her is having drinks with Victor when John comes back from a trip. Her wants to drink more but Victor has to leave to look after his daughter.

Chapter 3 “Moratorium” (0:39:14): Her and John have just got married; Her says she’s going to take up gardening. John tells Her Mary is pregnant again but Mary is too scared to tell her. Her imagines the child they have, fantasising about having a son.

Scene 3.2 (0:47:10): Mary visits Her while she’s gardening, and tells her she’s had a miscarriage.

Scene 3.3 (0:49:05): Her and Des talk about the recent success of the blog, buoyed by the story of Mary’s miscarriage.

Scene 3.4 (0:50:50): John confronts Her about the blog. He’s angry and embarrassed that intimate details of their relationship are online. Her turns it on him, claiming he isn’t around and willing to try for a baby properly. He promises to try harder and agrees to go to the doctor to be checked. Her refuses to stop the blog, angering John.

Yerma − Learning Guide

Adaptation Details & Plot Synopsis

14

Scene 3.5 (0:55:20): Her is panicking and asked Victor to come over to help. John has disappeared and not answering his phone after their argument. Her confesses she wrote about Victor in her blog, implying in a positive manner. Her asks Victor to stay, implying she wants him to impregnate her as she knows he can. He refuses and leaves.

Chapter 4 “Reality” (0:58:49): Her and Mary are in the garden. Her has started losing grip on reality - taking pregnancy yoga and eating ‘fertility friendly breakfast’ while refusing to attend parties with other children there. John is away, his whereabouts unclear.

Scene 4.2 (1:03:10): John returns home very late and drunk. John confesses he kissed someone from work and spent the night her. He has his test results back from the doctor.

Chapter 5 “Deception” (1:05:02): Helen has come over to look after Her while John goes away. John and Her are on their fourth round of IVF treatment. The issue is apparently with Her’s eggs as John’s sperm is healthy. Helen suggests adoption but John says Her won’t consider it. John says Her has been in trouble with police for loitering by playgrounds and watching mothers with children.

Scene 5.2 (1:08:58): Her and Victor are in the garden, where Her’s tree is failing to grow. Victor tells Her he is moving to Hong Kong tomorrow with his daughter and new girlfriend.

Scene 5.3 (1:13:25): Her refuses to give John her credit card saying ‘it’s my money too’. John reveals they have no more money and can’t make payments on the

Yerma − Learning Guide

Adaptation Details & Plot Synopsis

15

mortgage. Their 12 rounds of IVF have crippled them financially. John suggests adoption but Her says her arms would ‘fall off’ if she held another person’s child. She refuses to stop, saying she’ll get a donor if need be.

Chapter 6 “Descent” (1:18:46): Her leaves to a music festival, descending into a crazed binge of alcohol, parties and sex with strangers.

Des confronts her and tries to slow her down but she refuses. John tries to find her, Mary tells him Her has been fired from work. Her meets strangers at the festival she mistakes for Victor, John and Helen. She has sex with the fake Victor and tries to seduce the fake John who refuses. Des finds her and takes her home.

Scene 6.2 (1:26:12): Her returns home sodding wet with her dress on backwards. John tells her she's been fired from work. John has everything packed - they have sold the house and he's leaving her. She confronts him, claiming he never wanted to have a child. She pulls a knife, threatening to kill him. He leaves.

Scene 6.3 (1:31:46): Alone and hysterical, Her stabs herself muttering about no more wondering. If her son won’t come to her, she’ll come to him.

The End

Yerma − Learning Guide

Adaptation Details & Plot Synopsis

16

Suggestions for Further Activity

Read this review from The Independent. For each creative or performance element that the reviewer mentions discuss whether you agree with their evaluation or not. Is there anything you would change about the production?

Research the original play of Yerma and the life of Federico García Lorca. What changes have been made in this production and why do you think Stone has decided to do this? This video might help your discussions. What are the advantages and disadvantages of working in this way? Do you think a different version of the play if Stone had been working with a different group of actors?

Yerma − Learning Guide

Find Out More

Suggestions for Further Research

Watch this short film featuring Yael Faber, who directed Lorca’s Blood Wedding for the Young Vic in 2019. What similarities can you notice between Blood Wedding and Yerma? Discuss what themes you can see Lorca was particularly interested in.

Watch this short film about the design for Yerma.

Watch this short film where Billie Piper explains key aspects of the play. How does this additional knowledge enhance or challenge your experience of the production?

17

We hope that you have enjoyed watching and studying Yerma. Don't forget that there are many more fantastic productions to explore as part of the NT Collection. We hope that watching this recorded production has made you feel inspired to see and make live theatre. Why not find out what’s happening at your local theatre and how you can get involved?

This guide to support your viewing of the production was compiled by Teacher and Arts Education Consultant Susie Ferguson.

If you have any comments or feedback on our resources please contact us:ntcollection@nationaltheatre.org.uk

Yerma − Learning Guide

Find Out More