Bluebeard: A Fairytale for Adults


Milk Presents Theatre Company
Underbelly

There is a certain brand of Fringe production that for me personally encapusulates the entire heart of the Festival, Milk Presents Theatre Company has provided just that. Taking Parrault's classic reiteration of the fairytale Bluebeard and subverting it into a travelling theatre spectacle, they have created one of the most amusing, jolly and plain out-and-out entertaining shows I've seen this year. From Jacob Beswick's campy compère who greets the audience on their entrance into the venue, to the lusty brashness of Adam Robertson's Bluebeard, the full gamut of the story's clichéd archetypes are brilliantly satirised and the tale played out with a winking irony throughout.

The tale of Bluebeard's murdered wives and the final spouse who wins the day is a romp in and of itself, as the troupe wing from one wife's story to the next in cheerful, if not entirely tasteful, song and motion. A tandem bicycle sits on the stage, around various riggings, ropes and musical instruments, all of which are used to great effect throughout the play. The cast also show an aptitude for music, as Ruby Glaskin, Saskia Solomons and Lucy Doherty as the trio of wives take every moment to soar with song. A brilliant play for a young company who are every bit ready to become Fringe favourites.

Reviewer: Graeme Strachan

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