Headlock Theatre, a young company founded by Sheffield University students in 2010, have created an energetic and very physical devised adaptation of the classic fairytale Bluebeard. Their narrative centres on Blue, a young woman and distant relation of the titular Bluebeard, a man renowned for killing his young brides when they dissatisfy him. Soon Blue meets and marries the sweet young girl Bower. Along with her brother Chalk, Bower is left alone in Blue’s intimidating house under the proviso that they do not enter a particular room. Inevitably they cannot resist the temptation and in the denouement discover that the family tendency towards murder still runs deep in Blue.

With a simple set consisting of table, chairs, and golden picture frames, Headlock bring the  narrative to life with some imaginative devices that emphasize the themes of power and control in the story nicely; rhythmic sequences that become more complex and confusing as time goes on, some effective lift work, and some elements of contemporary dance. Rebecca Solomon plays Blue with confident delivery, although her youth perhaps means that the character does not always fully communicate the gravitas the character demands. Ben Price stands out as brother Chalk, a comedic and affable character, and Tori Klayes plays Bower with an effective mix of apparent innocence which belies an eventual core of steel. I would like to have seen the more inventive elements pushed a little further to really mine the narrative, and perhaps the context was somewhat confusing at times, as the decision to ‘modernise’ the narrative by the inclusion of female lovers was interesting but not fully explored. Yet there are some interesting moments in this piece, and the actors’ commitment and energy is laudable.