Review: BLUE BEARD, Birmingham REP

Steve Tanner

If you were looking for a musical about pirates, then Emma Rice’s new musical Blue Beard is not for you. However, if you want a beguiling, hilarious and sometimes disturbing tale full of tight harmonies and a multi talented cast then act fast!

Blue Beard is originally a French folktale dating back to 1697. Blue Beard meaning ‘a man who marries and kills one wife after another’. This updated version is seemingly just as bloody as the original. Blue Beard (played by Tristan Sturrock) is a wealthy and charismatic magician full of awe and wonder, however all is not what it seems…during a magic show he woos his future bride Lucky (Robyn Sinclair) by sawing her in half, perhaps a sign of things to come. Once married he invites her into his wondrous home and tells her to explore the house as she pleases but that one room is out of bounds, he then gives her the key to said room. Needless to say it doesn’t take Lucky long to open the room and discover the severed bodies of his dead wives. When Blue Beard discovers her ‘betrayal’ he then acts as predicted, violently. Lucky however isn’t saved by a night in shining armour, it is her sisterhood who come to the rescue. Alongside this story we meet the sisters of the convent of the Three Fs ‘fearful, f*ck*d and furious’ and are introduced to a brother who is searching for his lost sister as a sub plot.

Stu Barker’s music takes us from pop/rock concert to jazzy harmonies and back again. The informal, almost Brechtian, delivery of these songs makes them all the more captivating, narrating the story with ease whilst keeping an enriching, modern sound. Each cast member is a multipotentialite. With the cast also doubling as the band, this show feels wonderfully intimate and exciting. The particular stand out is Lost Sister played by Mirabelle Gremaud, who manages to act, play the harp, sing and dance… en pointe.

The lighting is kept simple and a clever use of colour is all that is needed to support the message of this story. Using a mix of gender typical colours, blue and pink mostly throughout, with a dash of red when Blue Beard appears. The set is simple and stages our musicians throughout, with pianos being moved across the stage and guitar cases doubling up as chairs.

At the heart of this new musical is the shocking reality of domestic abuse. This however, is woven through a hilarious, often brash, modern and brave script that captures the audience from the start. Although this story dates back to the 15th century, there are countless stories from this week alone involving violence against women that are all too familiar. This musical stirs anger, hatred and laughs in equal measure. You have to see it to believe it.

***** Five Stars

Reviewed by Sophie Eaton

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