Venue :Folio Bar, Roslyn Packer Theatre
September 23-26, Sydney Fringe Festival 2026
Bluebeard is an old French folktale passed down through generations since the 15th century.
While the details vary with each telling and there are rumoured ties to different individuals along the way, the agreed character is a wealthy nobleman living in a secluded castle who murdered his wives.
In the 1970s, English feminist author Angela Carter wrote The Bloody Chamber, a short story based on the tale. In her retelling, The Bride (Georgia Britt) has just married the rich nobleman who has presented her with a large red opal wedding ring, and they are about to journey to her new husband’s castle.
In Carter’s tale, set in the 1920s, Bluebeard is a decadent louche with a special room where he keeps his perverted trophies.
The Kittyhawk production, interpreted for the stage by playwright Van Badham, is performed in the Folio Bar, and the intimate setting – with its dark leather curtains and lush velvet seats – is perfect for the dark tale.
Britt is a mesmerising Bride, and almost single-handedly tells the tale. Placed in the audience are Riley Thomas, who provides the voice of Bluebeard, and Cameron Hutt who voices the piano tuner Jean Yves.
Jean Yves is an important character in the play as the only person The Bride can trust in the castle. She talks to only him, and – for a while her mother – who, as an unseen and unheard presence on the phone, provides some background to the story.
Angela Carter updated several folk tales and fairy tales in her writing – giving them different emphases and in some cases endings. And this one is no different.
Britt portrays the Bride showing a marked change in confidence as she starts to realise more about the man she has married. Her mother has warned against him and she has heard about the other wives, each accomplished in different ways. As an innocent young bride she is keen to join their hallowed ranks.
Lucy Rossen’s tight direction sees Britt grow in confidence as her greater understanding and knowledge of her husband unfolds.
With her long red locks, red lips and white dress, Britt is a picture of innocence on the verge of losing it.
The Bride’s white gown keeps the focus on her innocence and purity. It’s a stark contrast to the red of her ribbon which represents a necklace of rubies gifted by her husband. Her twisting of the ribbon acts as a bold underline of the story’s development.
The performance space allows an intimacy with the audience that brings us close to the storytelling style of a fair or folk tale – almost like being read to as a child.
Congratulations to the cast and Kittyhawk for an excellent show.
Julia Newbould, Theatre Now
