Bluebelle
About Bluebelle
‘Folktales are real.’ Italo Calvino
It is said that every theatre has ghosts. It is often believed that these theatre ghosts are former actors and that ghost lights – lamps left on stage after dark – allow these spirits to perform and dance on stage. What do they perform? What stories are they enacting and re-acting over and over again? For whom and why? The mystery is why. Our exploration started before the pandemic with that question: Why theatre? Which very quickly became: Why live theatre?
Over the past 4 years, our journey took us from corporeal mime to clown work, from imaginative transformation to visual vernacular, from rich musical textures to sound design, from philosophy to silliness, and from real life experiences – gathered through interviews with parents, carers and members from Fertility UK – to ancient folktales. The result is Bluebelle, a new tale – as much as any tale can ever be new – about loss and loneliness, but also love and hope.
Weaving together plots and characters from ancient folktales, Bluebelle is about our never-ending need to believe in the extra-ordinary of Once Upon a Time.
Duration: 60mins
Age recommendation: 8+
Press
'A magical, mesmerising tale... Bluebelle is an innovative masterpiece that proves that Theatre Re really does deserve its status as one of the UK’s leading visual theatre companies.' ★★★★★ West End Best Friends
'Beautifully moving... The company of performers are all delights to watch... Dr Katherine Graham's lighting design is exceptional... The music composed and played live by Alex Judd and Henry Webster sounds incredible.' ★★★★ Reviews Hub
'A mesmerising and non-verbal reimagining of the roots of several folk tales, set to stunning music.' ★★★★ Everything Theatre
'A rollercoaster of fear and love... There was a perfect synergy between the live music and the rest of the storytelling. Truly brilliant!' ★★★★ PlaysToSee
'Intimate, contemporary and haunting at times, Bluebelle is an imaginative piece of visual storytelling that draws you in with all your senses' ★★★★ Frankly My Dear
'With an ethereal and somewhat Shakespearean quality to it, Bluebelle is a visually stunning production.' ★★★★ Last Night I dreamt Of
'There is something genuinely magical about the company’s new production: it’s got a warm twinkle and touches of wonder.' Exeunt
'Big on atmosphere...The stagecraft is a delight... And the physical-theatre - grotesque witchery, swirling magicians, questing gallops, lonely wanderings - is the stuff of good storytelling' Springback Magazine
'Theatre Re's delightful and entertaining storytelling is achieved through a mainly non-verbal presentation by a group of superb physical theatre performers and two exceptional composer-musicians.' British Theatre Guide
Features
Interview with Shoreditch Town Hall - here
Interview with Spotlight on Kulture - here
Interview with Center Stage - here
Creative Team
Conceived & Directed - Guillaume Pigé
Devised by the Company
The Queen - Claudia Marciano
The King - Marshall Stay
The Evil Witch & Bluebelle - Giulia de Fabbro
The Bluebell Fairy - Ramon Ayres (from 2022 to 2023), Marlie James (current)
Co-composers & Musicians - Alex Judd & Henry Webster
Lighting Designer - Dr Katherine Graham
Re-lighter & Techical Manager - Ross Haywards
Sound Technician - Benjamin Adams
Original costume design (2022) - Emma Tompkins
Costume ajustements (2025) - Amy Bentley
Collaborative set and props design - Emma Tompkins, Josephine Tremelling, Guillaume Pigé and Benjamin Adams
Costume Maker - Rosie Whiting, Jessie McKenzie
Stage Manager & Company Manager - Mario Ruiz Sorube (2025)
Dramaturg - A.C. Smith
Animal Transformation - Gabrielle Moleta
Philosopher - Dr Graeme A. Forbes
Visual Vernacular - Zoë McWhinney
External Adviser - Nola Rae MBE and Jonny Cotsen
Devisers - Eygló Belafonte, Claudia Marciano, Guillaume Pigé, Andres Velasquez, Charles Sandford, Ramon Ayres, Giulia del Fabbro, Henry Webster, Alex Judd, Zoë McWhinney, Emma Tompkins, Dr Katherine Graham, Josephine Tremelling, Marshall Stay.
Past performances
Preview performance, The Point Eastleigh (Eastleigh, 2021)
World Première, London International Mime Festival at Shoreditch Town Hall (London, 2022)
The Lowry (Salford, 2022)
The Lighthouse (Poole, 2023)
‘Folktales are real.’ Italo Calvino
It is said that every theatre has ghosts. It is often believed that these theatre ghosts are former actors and that ghost lights – lamps left on stage after dark – allow these spirits to perform and dance on stage. What do they perform? What stories are they enacting and re-acting over and over again? For whom and why? The mystery is why. Our exploration started before the pandemic with that question: Why theatre? Which very quickly became: Why live theatre?
Over the past 4 years, our journey took us from corporeal mime to clown work, from imaginative transformation to visual vernacular, from rich musical textures to sound design, from philosophy to silliness, and from real life experiences – gathered through interviews with parents, carers and members from Fertility UK – to ancient folktales. The result is Bluebelle, a new tale – as much as any tale can ever be new – about loss and loneliness, but also love and hope.
Weaving together plots and characters from ancient folktales, Bluebelle is about our never-ending need to believe in the extra-ordinary of Once Upon a Time.
Duration: 60mins
Age recommendation: 8+
Press
'A magical, mesmerising tale... Bluebelle is an innovative masterpiece that proves that Theatre Re really does deserve its status as one of the UK’s leading visual theatre companies.' ★★★★★ West End Best Friends
'Beautifully moving... The company of performers are all delights to watch... Dr Katherine Graham's lighting design is exceptional... The music composed and played live by Alex Judd and Henry Webster sounds incredible.' ★★★★ Reviews Hub
'A mesmerising and non-verbal reimagining of the roots of several folk tales, set to stunning music.' ★★★★ Everything Theatre
'A rollercoaster of fear and love... There was a perfect synergy between the live music and the rest of the storytelling. Truly brilliant!' ★★★★ PlaysToSee
'Intimate, contemporary and haunting at times, Bluebelle is an imaginative piece of visual storytelling that draws you in with all your senses' ★★★★ Frankly My Dear
'With an ethereal and somewhat Shakespearean quality to it, Bluebelle is a visually stunning production.' ★★★★ Last Night I dreamt Of
'There is something genuinely magical about the company’s new production: it’s got a warm twinkle and touches of wonder.' Exeunt
'Big on atmosphere...The stagecraft is a delight... And the physical-theatre - grotesque witchery, swirling magicians, questing gallops, lonely wanderings - is the stuff of good storytelling' Springback Magazine
'Theatre Re's delightful and entertaining storytelling is achieved through a mainly non-verbal presentation by a group of superb physical theatre performers and two exceptional composer-musicians.' British Theatre Guide
Features
Interview with Shoreditch Town Hall - here
Interview with Spotlight on Kulture - here
Interview with Center Stage - here
Creative Team
Conceived & Directed - Guillaume Pigé
Devised by the Company
The Queen - Claudia Marciano
The King - Marshall Stay
The Evil Witch & Bluebelle - Giulia de Fabbro
The Bluebell Fairy - Ramon Ayres (from 2022 to 2023), Marlie James (current)
Co-composers & Musicians - Alex Judd & Henry Webster
Lighting Designer - Dr Katherine Graham
Re-lighter & Techical Manager - Ross Haywards
Sound Technician - Benjamin Adams
Original costume design (2022) - Emma Tompkins
Costume ajustements (2025) - Amy Bentley
Collaborative set and props design - Emma Tompkins, Josephine Tremelling, Guillaume Pigé and Benjamin Adams
Costume Maker - Rosie Whiting, Jessie McKenzie
Stage Manager & Company Manager - Mario Ruiz Sorube (2025)
Dramaturg - A.C. Smith
Animal Transformation - Gabrielle Moleta
Philosopher - Dr Graeme A. Forbes
Visual Vernacular - Zoë McWhinney
External Adviser - Nola Rae MBE and Jonny Cotsen
Devisers - Eygló Belafonte, Claudia Marciano, Guillaume Pigé, Andres Velasquez, Charles Sandford, Ramon Ayres, Giulia del Fabbro, Henry Webster, Alex Judd, Zoë McWhinney, Emma Tompkins, Dr Katherine Graham, Josephine Tremelling, Marshall Stay.
Past performances
Preview performance, The Point Eastleigh (Eastleigh, 2021)
World Première, London International Mime Festival at Shoreditch Town Hall (London, 2022)
The Lowry (Salford, 2022)
The Lighthouse (Poole, 2023)
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