Blood Wedding at The Dukes Theatre

From January 28th–31st, our cast and creative team lit up The Dukes Theatre in Lancaster with a powerful and haunting staging of Federico García Lorca’s Blood Wedding. After months of rehearsal, refinement, and ensemble-building, the curtain finally rose for a week of unforgettable performances.

The week began with a fantastic opening night, and we could not be prouder of what the cast achieved. Each actor brought a striking depth to their character, capturing the tension, longing, and tragedy at the heart of Lorca’s script setting the tone for a successful week ahead.

Blood Wedding is a story steeped in symbolism and emotion. Set in rural Spain, the narrative follows a bride and groom whose wedding unravels when the bride’s former lover, Leonardo, reappears. Themes of repression, honour, forbidden love, and the consequences of resisting societal expectation all drive the play toward its dark and inevitable end.

Our students embraced these themes wholeheartedly, delivering performances that felt both authentic and fiercely alive. From the intensity of the dialogue to the ritualistic movement and music that underscored key moments, every element contributed to a rich and atmospheric production.

A production like Blood Wedding doesn’t succeed on the performances of the actors, musicians, and dancers alone, and we are incredibly grateful for the full team who made this week possible. Thank you to our set and costume design teams, along with John Backhouse and Claire Nickell, whose exceptional work in designing and building the sets helped transform the Round theatre at The Dukes into the magical world of the play. Thank you also to our makeup artists from Lancaster and Morecambe College whose detailed and expressive designs added depth and atmosphere to every character on stage.

We’d also like to acknowledge our dedicated backstage and technical teams, who ensured every cue, transition, and scene change ran seamlessly. Your organisation, calmness, and creativity allowed the cast to shine onstage and ensured that audiences were fully absorbed in the story from beginning to end. The care and professionalism of everyone involved from lighting and sound to props, costume, and stage management played a vital role in making the production the success it was.

A huge thank you as well to our large and talented cast of performers, who brought the characters, movement, and music of Lorca’s play to life with passion and precision. Finally, we extend our sincere thanks to the team at The Dukes, especially Jack and Coops, for their support, collaboration, and work with both our staff and students throughout the week.