'Understanding Bernarda': Veronica Coburn's unpublished version of La Casa de Bernarda Alba

The analysis focuses on Coburn’s most significant innovation: the application of red nose theatre – or clowning – to the Spanish tragedy. This performative strategy creates a critical distance that allows for a radical reimagining of the source material. Unlike the original play, which presents Bernarda as a fully formed tyrant, Coburn’s version deconstructs her character by delving into her past. Through a comparative perspective, the article explores how this adaptation highlights spaces for transformation and addresses universal issues of intergenerational trauma and the historical demonisation of female sexuality. Furthermore, it discusses how the reduction of the cast to only two characters – Bernarda and Poncia – reframes the narrative power dynamics and grants new agency to the figure of the maid.