About Daphne Dare
Daphne Dare was born in Yeovil, Somerset, England, and attended the Bath Academy of Art and London University, where she studied Scene Painting, Sculpture, and Stage Design. Her first position in theatre was as a scene painter at Birmingham repertory Theatre followed by a period at the Bristol Old Vic where her fist design (sets and costumes) was for Amphitryon 38 (1958). She designed for major theatres on both sides of the Atlantic. In addition to her many accomplishments in the theatre, Daphne Dare also designed for television and film. Throughout her career Daphne Dare had a part in over sixty productions, serving in such roles as art director, costume designer, production designer, and set designer. Daphne Dare designed at the Bristol Old Vic from 1958 until 1963. She worked as a costume designer for BBC TV from 1964-1968, designing the first two years of costumes and monsters for Dr. Who. In 1967-1968 she became the Head of Design at the Northcott Theatre, Exeter. In the early 1970s Daphne Dare worked with Robin Phillips on a number of acclaimed productions including Two gentlemen of Verona (Royal Shakespeare Company, 1970), Abelard and Heloise (Wyndham's, 1970), Dear Antoine (Chichester and Piccadilly, 1971), and Miss Julie (Royal Shakespeare Company, 1971). 1973 was a very productive year for Daphne Dare and Robin Phillips with a season at Greenwich, a company including Jeremy Brett, Mia Farrow, Elisabeth Bergner, Penelope Keith, and Lynn Redgrave, in productions such as House of Bernarda Alba, Three sisters, Born yesterday, Cats play, and Zorba. In 1975 Daphne Dare became the Head of Design at the Stratford Festival, Ontario, under the artistic director Robin Phillips. She designed over 35 productions, and was responsible, along with Phillips, for the renovation of the stages and auditoriums for the Avon and Third Stages, while also instituting a "Designer in training" program for young Canadian designers. In 1989 Daphne Dare designed Dion Boucicault's London assurance (at Chichester and Theatre Royal Haymarket), with the director Sam Mendez. During the 1990s Dare focused primarily on film, working frequently with Ken Loach, including on his film Carla's song (1996).
The Play and the Designs
Daphne Dare's costume designs for La casa de Bernarda Alba ('') by the Spanish playwright Federico Garcia Lorca. This was Lorca's last play, written in 1936, several months before his death, and first performed in 1945. The play centers on the events of an Andalusian household during a period of mourning, in which the title character (age 60) wields total control over her five daughters Angustias (39 years old), Magdalena (30), Amelia (27), Martirio, (24), and Adela (20). The housekeeper (La Poncia) and Bernarda's mother (Maria Josefa) also live there.
