The Story
Judith enters Bluebeard’s castle, and wonders if the dark rumours about him are true. What happened to Bluebeard’s former wives? The castle is dark and the walls are wet. Judith vows to flood the castle with light and warmth.
She sees seven locked doors, and demands her husband open each in turn. Judith declares her love, but demands to know his secrets.
Something is not right in the castle. Everything is soaked in blood. And even the most brilliant light cannot illuminate the darkness at its heart.
As she reaches the final two doors, Bluebeard urges her to leave them shut. But she cannot resist. What is behind the seventh door? And can Judith escape the fate that awaits behind it?
Show me all your hidden secrets.
Let me enter ev’ry doorway.
A spoken prologue announces that the play we are about to see is an ancient tale that is as much in our minds as it is on the stage.
Judith has run away from her family and her bridegroom to be with Bluebeard in his castle. Bluebeard asks if she wants to return to them, but she says she would rather die. Bluebeard orders the doors locked.
In the darkness, Judith wonders about the rumours that surround Bluebeard. She sees the walls of the castle weeping and declares passionately that she will brighten his dark castle, warm the icy walls and let light in. Seeing seven doors barred before her, she demands he open them. He offers her a key and the walls breathe a sigh of anguish.
She opens the first door to find an horrific torture chamber. Terrified, she sees the walls are bleeding, but when asked if she is frightened, she recovers her composure and demands the other keys, declaring her love. She opens the second door and discovers a powerful armoury with bloodstained weapons. Unfazed, she demands to enter every doorway. As the castle walls begin to tremble, he gives her three more keys. She opens the third door and discovers a treasury full of ostentatious wealth, but the jewels are stained with blood. Behind the fourth door is a beautiful garden with blood soaked soil.
Hurriedly, Bluebeard tells her to open the fifth door and he reveals the true vastness of his kingdom, dazzled in white light. He begs to kiss her, but she resists, demanding he open the last two doors. Bluebeard warns her his castle will no longer shine with light but reluctantly hands her one more key.
She unlocks the sixth door and sees a body of water that Bluebeard tells her is a lake of tears. He declares the last door must stay shut forever, and asks Judith to kiss him without asking any more questions. She asks who he has loved before, and says she has guessed his secret. He has murdered his former wives. After a violent confrontation, he hands her the final key.
Judith opens the seventh door and discovers his three previous wives inside, still alive. He explains how he found the first in the morning, the second at midday, and the third in the evening. He attempts to make Judith his fourth wife, the wife of midnight. She resists and Bluebeard is left alone in the darkness.
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