Desperate times, desperate measures - The National Theatre Live 'Yerma'

Despair, determination and desperation are at the centre of Simon Stone's interpretation of the 84-year old play, Yerma, which invites the audience to rethink womanhood, motherhood and traditional roles.

Playing live this Sunday at Palace Cineplex, Simon Stone's adaptation of Federico Garcia Lorca's tragic play brings a contemporary perspective of child bearing to the audience.

First performed in 1934, it tells the story of a childless woman living in rural Spain. Because of the time in which she lives, Yerma is expected to bear children. Her desperate desire for motherhood becomes an obsession that eventually drives her to commit a horrific crime.

An Australian writer and director, Simon Stone transposes Lorca's play to contemporary London, turning the agony of childlessness into a stimulating 21st-century play.

In Lorca's original plot, Yerma is a farmer's wife driven mad by her failure to conceive in a society where child bearing is regarded as her primary role. In Stone's modern edition, Yerma is depicted as a successful journalist who has always refused to be defined by her ability or inability to bear children. Stone's compelling perspective brings into sharp focus the evolution of motherhood, womanhood and freedom of choice.

Although only 33, Simon Stone is one of the most acclaimed theatre makers on the international circuit. He is known for taking pieces from standard repertoires and reworking them into intimate cinematic performances. He has directed films such as The Daughter, The Turning and Sweet Lamb of Heaven.

The emotive character, Yerma, is played by multitalented British actress Billie Piper, who is known to entice audiences with her stagecraft. Piper, a former teenage pop star, is best known for her roles in the long-running TV franchise Doctor Who and Penny Dreadful. Piper is well sustained by a supporting cast.