The Birmingham Rep will be hosting this April the world premiere of Blue Beard, which comes to our stage on Tue 9 Apr – Sat 20 Apr 2024.
Written and directed by Emma Rice, Artistic Director of theatre company Wise Children, it is a co-production with Birmingham Rep, HOME Manchester, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and York Theatre Royal.
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.
The cast includes Stu Barker, Mirabelle Gremaud, Stephanie Hockley, Patrycja Kujawska, Adam Mirsky, Katy Owen, Robyn Sinclair and Tristan Sturrock.
Blue Beard the Magician makes hearts flutter and pupils dilate. With a wink, a stroke and a flick – things just seem to vanish. Cards, coins, scarves… and women.
Puff! Gone. Without a trace.
He meets his match when his young bride discovers his dark and murderous secret. She summons all her rage, all her smarts and all her sisters to bring the curtain down on his tyrannous reign.
Further creatives joining the team include: 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).
Alongside the performances, The Rep has teamed up with The School for Wise Children to offer two separate theatre workshops, for free:
On Fri 12 Apr, we’ll be inviting up to nine emerging production professionals to the theatre to peek behind the curtain, to meet our team and to have a taste of what it’s like backstage on Blue Beard and learn sections of the production in our Backstage Taster Workshop.
On Fri 19 Apr, The School for Wise Children is offering a unique opportunity for theatre makers aged 18+ to take part in a free, day-long workshop at The Rep, run by Blue Beard Assistant Director Tom Fox and Musical Director Stephanie Hockley. In this practical workshop members of our show team will introduce participants to the Wise Children method and experience first-hand how the company builds an ensemble and creates critically acclaimed shows.
https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/blue-beard/
LISTINGS
BIRMINGHAM REP
Tue 9 Apr – Sat 20 Apr
Press Night: Wed 10 Apr, 7.30pm
Audio Described performances: Sat 13 Apr, 2.30pm (described by Carolyn Smith)
A Free Touch Tour is available to book before the Audio Described performance.
BSL Interpreted performance: Thu 18 Apr, 2.30pm (interpreted by Claire Edwards)
Captioned performance: Tue 16 Apr, 7.30pm (captioned by Cara Lawless)
Relaxed performance: Thu 18 Apr, 7.30pm