In Conversation with Deborah Leiser-Moore | Blood Wedding
- Jul 11, 2025
- 2 min read
In our Backstage Blog today, we check in with Deborah Leiser-Moore, the Director of Blood Wedding, presented by Theatre Works, Tashmadada and the JMC Performance Ensemble.
At its heart, Blood Wedding is about the personal effects of war, and the struggles of women to find their voice in a male dominated society. It pits tribe against tribe. Class against class. All to a devastating end.
Q: Blood Wedding is a text that has lived in many renditions. What would you say this production focusses on?
A: "It’s not your fault, It’s not mine. It’s just the way things are" (Leonardo, Blood Wedding)
This version of Blood Wedding focusses on the effects of war on a human level. And the never-ending cycle of violence, blood, rivalries between families and tradition. It is told through a forbidden love story between two young people. Lovers who should be together but can’t because of histories full of hate and blood. The young woman (just called Bride) desires to break the cycle and be true to her passions. She makes a stand. Her voice is heard loud and clear.
Q: You’ve told us that the work questions traditions, boundaries, gender, morality, human savagery, freedom, the power of love - and the power of the ‘knife’. Can you speak to how those themes are pertinent to a 2025 audience?
This piece is, sadly, all too relevant in 2025. Every day I hear stories on the news of an outbreak of war in some part of the globe, or another stabbing or machete attack in Melbourne. Families caught in conflict, homes and economies collapsed. It speaks to what is happening now – at this fragile time in the world. At the end of the play, when asked: what happened, the character of the ‘weaver’ says:
"What usually happens. The old religion of the knife. The taste for it buried in flesh. Real as lust."
Q: What should audiences expect when they come to see BLOOD WEDDING?
A: First and foremost- Passion with a capital ‘P’. Our world is visceral, physical and ..sexy. Yes - you heard it right. Bodies in action, sweat and more passion. The cast are an ensemble of young acting graduates from JMC Academy, where I trained and directed them. They bring their bold energy and these years of training to the work.
Q: What will surprise people about this work?
A: This wonderful ensemble! Their energy, commitment and ..passion (there’s that word again) as performers.
Q: What has been the most memorable moment in your rehearsal process?
A: There have been lots of memorable moments in rehearsals. The joy, the dancing (there is a wild wedding scene in the piece). But if pushed, I’d say that the most memorable moment was a breakthrough on the delivery of one sentence. Only 4 words spoken by the groom: enjoying my wedding night? Only four words – but four important words. It took a while but when he finally got it, we all spontaneously shouted, cheered and broke into laughter.
Blood Wedding plays at Theatre Works July 23 - August 2.
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The Bride’s Speed Stars Online desire to break cycles of violence is central here how did you work with the actor to ensure her voice felt contemporary and urgent?
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