A revised Student Edition of Lorca's 1931 play Bodas de Sangre, in the translation by Gwynne Edwards and with commentary and notes by Ben De Witte.

One of Federico García Lorca's most well-known works for the stage, this play about doomed passion brings to life a small-town incident in rural Spain with a tragic vision and poetic sensibility that still draws audiences to the play today.

The commentary explores the play's place within the progressive political climate of the Second Spanish Republic (1931-1939) and how it reveals Lorca's sympathies for social reform. It also delves into Lorca's decision to make this a contemporary tragedy and how this signalled a new direction in his vision for theatre.

Also included is an exploration of the play's use of metaphorical language and stagecraft, how it maps onto the structure of ancient tragedy, its production history, and ideas for further exploration.

Federico García Lorca (1898 - 1936) was born in Andalusia, Spain. A poet and dramatist, and also a gifted painter and pianist, his early popular ballads earned him the title of 'poet of the gypsies'. In 1930 he turned his attention to theatre, visiting remote villages and playing classic and new works for peasant audiences. His major works include The House of Bernarda Alba, Yerma and Blood Wedding. In 1936, shortly after the outbreak of Civil War, he was murdered by nationalist partisans. His body was never found.

Gwynne Edwards is a specialist in Spanish theatre and cinema and was previously Professor of Spanish at the University of Aberystwyth, Wales. He has translated and adapted more than 40 plays from Spanish, French and Italian, many of which have been staged at major theatres in Britain and the United States. He has published three collections of Lorca's plays with Methuen Drama.

Ben De Witte is based in the Faculty of Arts at the University of KU Leuven, Belgium. His research on modernist drama and queer modernism has been published in Theater Research International and Modern Drama. At KU Leuven, he teaches courses on European literary history, comparative literature, world literatures and literary multilingualism and translation theory.