Live Evaluation - Yerma

Question 1

When did you watch Yerma?

Answer 1

On the 11th of April

Question 2

What is Yerma?

Answer 2

A captivating and enthralling Young Vic Production filmed by National Theatre Live

Question 3

What happens in Yerma?

Answer 3

In this engrossing play the inescapable character of “Her”, exceptionally played by the phenomenal Billie Piper, is driven to the unthinkable

Question 4

Where is Yerma set?

Answer 4

Set in contemporary London, this radical and striking adaptation of Lorca’s classic tragedy accumulates with elemental force to a disturbing and staggering climax

Question 5

Who brought Yerma to life?

Answer 5

Cunningly brought to life by ingenious director Simon Stone

Question 6

What are some of the key elements used in this production?

Answer 6

This ground-breaking production uses naturalistic acting enclosed by an abstract set to rigorously bring the narrative of “Her” to life

Question 7

How did you feel whilst watching Yerma?

Answer 7

In the course of observing this breath-taking performance I was filled with genuine shock and discomfort - I felt akin to a stranger eavesdropping on intimate moments or a scientist researching the habits of a strange species

Question 8

A heated…

Answer 8

debate between “Helen” and “Her” in Scene 1.6 provides the audience with an insight into the shambolic life of “Her”

Question 9

In this scene…

Answer 9

“Her”, Billie Piper, and Helen, played by the sensational Maureen Beattie, converse about pregnancy and having children

Question 10

Billie Piper spouts…

Answer 10

“you never hugged me” in a critical tone with furrowed brows and a wavering pitch, leaning on a bent leg – clutching her elbows awkwardly

Question 11

In blatant…

Answer 11

contrast Maureen Beattie sits casually a couple metres away from ‘her’ in upstage centre

Question 12

This immense…

Answer 12

discrepancy between mother and daughter provides a foundation for the audience to understand the reasons for “Her’s” impending descent into a maddening fixation that eventually leads to her downfall

Question 13

Piper and Beattie excellently…

Answer 13

showcased the coldness and lack of intimacy that pervaded “Her’s” childhood and demonstrated Stone’s aim of presenting a ”modern woman’s dissent into personal tragedy” since it reinforces her patriarchal internalisation

Question 14

Piper and Beattie reveal

Answer 14

the social turmoil internalised by “Her”, which leaves the audience no doubt of “Her’s” gaping abyss earnest with a desire for unconditional motherly love – a love she hopes to provide for her own child

Question 15

A scene in which Billie Piper excellently conveyed “Her’s” fragile…

Answer 15

mental state is when Victor reveals that he is leaving her for Hong Kong the following night

Question 16

John Macmillan and Piper…

Answer 16

use their knowledge of spatial awareness and timing to exhibit the engulfing and devastating impact this had on “Her”, leaving her in an inconsolable state

Question 17

Macmillan and Piper provide a…

Answer 17

convincing prequel to scene 6.2 and 6.3 where John also abandons “Her” in a cataclysmic confrontation

Question 18

This interaction is replete with…

Answer 18

fragmented pauses and faced pace talking over one another, which juxtaposes with the stillness of their physicality

Question 19

Piper is sat in…

Answer 19

upstage centre; legs tucked into her chest with a mug of tea in her hands, whilst Macmillan stands a few metres away

Question 20

This reinforces the…

Answer 20

barrier that has now formed between “Her” and “Victor” due to her inability to have a child

Question 21

“Her’s” envy was clear when…

Answer 21

Billie Piper burst out “I think you should go”, eyes filled with tears which she used the back of her trembling hand to wipe – her voice overwhelmed with emotion

Question 22

Her is consumed by…

Answer 22

the overwhelming emotions of grief and misery in scene 6.2 and 6.3 of the play

Question 23

This is due to John…

Answer 23

(her lone prospect for a child) abandoning “Her” in a tragic confrontation

Question 24

Simon Stone aimed to exhibit…

Answer 24

“an almost scientific dissection of a woman’s dissent into personal tragedy” and Piper’s exemplary performance attests to Stone’s vision

Question 25

Drowned in…

Answer 25

indignation and bitterness, Piper screeches, “you never wanted it did you?”

Question 26

Piper conveys this line with…

Answer 26

her teeth bared in a menacing and rigorous manner, barefooted in a wide gait with her back arched and her neck craned towards John

Question 27

Piper used a high…

Answer 27

pitch and belligerent tone along with wavering and undulating intonation (more so than her usual variations), with exasperated hand movements and a pained facial expression; her features crumpled with emotion

Question 28

Piper raised her…

Answer 28

pitch on “did you” with a voice crack and contemptuous tone to insinuate the waves of previously hidden emotion that are now simultaneously beginning to surface

Question 29

From where I stand, Piper…

Answer 29

astutely heightens the dramatic effectiveness in this moment with her physicality and vocality, displaying “Her” in an animalistic manner which attests to Stone’s vision of an almost scientific atmosphere

Question 30

From the vantage point of a spectator, Piper’s…

Answer 30

devastatingly emotive and astounding performance allows us to see the impact of patriarchal internalization - the loss and grief Her is experiencing for a baby that never truly was