Blue Beard coming to York Theatre Royal

Blue Beard is coming to York Theatre Royal from 27 February to 9 March 2024.

The world premiere production of Blue Beard, adapted and directed by Wise Children Artistic Director Emma Rice, comes to York Theatre Royal from 27 February to 9 March.

This follows the success of previous Wise Children productions seen at the theatre in recent years – Wuthering Heights, Malory Towers and Wise Children.

Emma Rice brings her own brand of theatrical wonder to this most beguiling and disturbing of tales. With her signature sleight of hand, Blue Beard explores curiosity and consent, violence and vengeance - all through an intoxicating lens of music, wit and tender truth.

Emma said: “Not wanting to add to the number of dead women that are scattered throughout our literature and media, I have always avoided the gruesome tale of Blue Beard. However, haunted by the regular and painful chime of murdered woman in the news, I woke one morning with the story knocking powerfully at my dreams. I pulled my copy from the shelves and with some trepidation, unlocked the door of Blue Beard’s castle.

“What I found hidden in those pages was a story not about dead women but about vibrant, flawed, joyful living ones. Here was a story about female friendship, intellect and survival. It is also a story in which, by working together, the aggressor is vanquished. And this is precisely why I want to tell Blue Beard now.

“In my middle years I want to join forces with those I love and take down the ones who threaten us. I, for one, have had enough, and for Zara Aleena, Jack Taylor, Bibaa Henry, Nicole Smallman, Daniel Whitworth, Sarah Everard and the thousands and thousands of others who have died at the hands of violent men - Blue Beard is my defiant and hopeful answer.”

Cast: Robyn Sinclair, Stu Barker, Mirabelle Gremaud, Stephanie Hockley, Patrycja Kujawska, Adam Mirsky, Katy Owen, and Tristan Sturrock.

Creatives: Stu Barker (Composer), Vicki Mortimer (Set and Costume designer), Simon Baker (Sound and Video designer), Malcolm Rippeth (Lighting Designer), Etta Murfitt (Movement Director and Choreographer) and Ian Ross (Musical Supervisor and Arranger).