THIS homage to Frederico Garcia Lorca is a theatrical curiosity by Hexham-based Théâtre Sans Frontières.

The lively prologue of the company’s devising is a kind of humorous introduction to Lorca, with songs and film footage of the great playwright himself (wearing a boiler suit, which the cast also adopt as their costumes).

Amor en el Jardin was written in 1928 prior to Lorca spending time in New York and the audience is transported back in time with a sequence, which includes the song Bacon and Eggs.

For some reason it reminds me of Dr Seuss and there is an element of surrealism about this production, augmented by the cardboard cut-out costumes – reminiscent of a child’s theatre – worn for the play itself.

Once the casting is complete, the company present the farcical Amor en el Jardin. It features the comic hero Don Perlimplin, an elderly man who marries the manipulative Belisa, a young and beautiful woman.

Don Perlimplin is then cuckolded on his wedding night by five men before learning the nature of true love.

Although in the comic tradition, the content was serious enough to be confiscated by Spanish police in 1929 and it was only ever performed once in Lorca’s lifetime, in 1933. As a renowned republican, he was murdered by nationalist militia three years later at the age of 38.

Played for laughs, Amor en el Jardin ends tragically with what seems a rather sudden ‘sacrifice’, but I suspect I missed the serious undertones of the play as there were no subtitles.

Amor en el Jardin is at The Maltings, Berwick, on October 20, Darlington Arts Theatre on October 21, Arts Centre Washington on November 10 and Queen’s Hall, Hexham, on November 11.