It’s no small feat to ignite a sodden, grey night in an open-air theatre; yet this agile, vivid staging of Lope de Vega’s torrid drama of sex, deceit and dishonour turns even the most torrential rain to steam. The production, by Madrid’s Fundación Siglo de Oro (formerly Rakatá), is the first of a Spanish Golden Age work to be presented at the Globe. Directed by Ernesto Arias and performed in Spanish, it’s full of dash and flourish, and it fits the space like an elegant kidskin glove.
Captioned scene synopses in English ensure that non-Spanish speakers have no difficulty in following the action but, though they give a decent gist of the dialogue, the loss of nuance is sometimes frustrating. Still, it’s a pleasure to hear the play delivered with the rhythm and texture of the language in which it was written. The plot — a compelling blend of cruelty, ribaldry, twisted romance and tenderness — belts irresistibly along, and the acting is effortlessly engaging.
Jesús Fuente is the priapic Duke of Ferrara, bullish in shape and bestial in his appetites, prowling the night-time streets in search of women to bed. He decides he needs an heir to secure his dynasty, and dispatches his bastard son Federico — naturally disgruntled to be overlooked himself — to fetch Cassandra, the lovely, well-born bride he has selected. No one anticipates the passion that will be kindled between Cassandra and her stepson-to-be, who rescues her from a river into which her carriage has tumbled. Despite their resistance, they eventually succumb to their feelings; when the Duke discovers the betrayal, he inflicts a grotesque punishment on the couple and, ultimately, on himself.
There’s real heat between Rodrigo Arribas’ Federico and Alejandra Mayo’s queenly Cassandra from the moment they meet, Arribas whisking Mayo up in his arms, with her soaked, translucent white gown and dripping hair. Yet love and desire are always shot through with darker impulses — resentment, spite, revenge — and Alejandro Saá, witty as the sharp-eyed servant Batín, undercuts the high drama with wry commentary. A juicy treat.
Box office: 020 7401 9919, to Sept 6