Enniskillen Amateur Dramatic Society (EADS) is currently in the midst of preparations for this year's rendition of Federico García Lorca's 'Blood Wedding,' scheduled to captivate audiences at the Ardhowen Theatre on February 8, 9, and 10.

Set against the backdrop of Andalusia, the production unfolds in a rural village where tradition, blood ties and the land are held sacred.

An unnamed bride elopes from her wedding reception with her married former suitor, Leonardo, triggering a pursuit led by the bridegroom, bound by honour, resulting in an inevitable and tragic outcome, leaving grieving women in its wake.

The production will see the return to stage of a number of popular local actors, including Aly Finlay (who will play The Mother), Claire Holmes (Mother-in-Law), Christine Maher Irvine (Death/Beggar Woman) and Amy Robinson (Servant/Neighbour).

Donegal actor Christian Carbin will take the role of Groom, and Shelby Keys – who first tread the boards with EADS last year – will play the Bride, with Padraig Connolly playing Father of the Bride.

Leonardo will be played by EADS newcomer Alan Donnelly, and Leonardo’s wife will be played by Victoria Johnston.

Others involved in the production include Deborah Fallis (The Moon), David Wilkinson (Wood Cutter), and Meabh Hambly, Muirne McKeagney and Seaneen Breen (Girls).

All the cast will come under the direction of Nick Hambly who directed last year’s production of ‘The Games Afoot’.

The story is based on a newspaper fragment which told of a family vendetta and a bride who ran away with the son of the enemy family.

Lorca uses it to investigate the subjects which fascinated him: desire, repression, ritual, and the constraints and commitments of the rural Spanish community in which the play is rooted.

The play is written by Spain's most celebrated dramatist, Federico Garcia Lorca.

Many of his passionate and intensely lyrical plays focus on peasant life and the forces of nature, combining innovatory dramatic technique with Spanish popular tradition.

EADS Chairperson Christian Carbin said: “Blood Wedding is set in 1930s Spain, and explores the repressive nature of the time and the entrenched attitudes of the people.

“It explores the nature of violence in the culture and the inevitability of it repeating time and time again.

“A wedding is fixed, but there is a fly in the ointment as an old love of the bride-to-be raises its head with tragic results.

“Join EADS as we put this work on stage under the excellent direction of Nick Hambly, and with one of the strongest casts he has put together.

“It promises to be a production that you won’t forget, and casts a light on the nature of people that still exists today."

The performance runs at The Ardhowen Theatre on February 8, 9 and 10, with a nightly 8pm start. Tickets are available online and at the Ardhowen Box Office; telephone 0286 632 5440.