This dramatic play is the second edition of George Colman the younger’s Blue Beard; or Female Curiosity! It is written in two acts and based on the French folktale of the same name. It starts with Selim and Fatima, two lovers who are betrothed to marry each other. Ibrahim comes in and tells Fatima she has to marry Abomelique (Blue Beard), but they both protest saying he promised her marriage to Selim. She doesn’t want to marry Blue Beard. Ibrahim forces the marriage to improve his class standing and for money, and constantly tries to re-state his class in front of the slaves. They get married, and before the wedding night, Abomelique says he has to leave on errands, giving her all the keys to the rooms in the castle for her to explore and have access to. He includes keys to the Blue Chamber, telling her she can enter all rooms except the Blue Chamber. He warns that she will be punished with death if she disobeys him. While this is happening, Selim tries to find a way to get her back by forming an army in the woods. Meanwhile, Fatima is encouraged by her sister, Irene, to enter the Blue Chamber. There, she finds a tomb and the corpses of Blue Beard’s dead wives and it warns that whoever endangers Blue Beard’s life will be locked in the sepulcher. If the person can remove the talisman from the foot of the skeleton, she will be safe. Shacabac is scared of telling her this secret, asking her to hide her feelings from Blue Beard and so he doesn’t find out. They try delaying Blue Beard’s contact with Fatima, but when Blue Beard finally sees the broken key of the Blue Chamber, he knows she opened the room. He threatens to kill her, but she asks for some time to pray. Setim and her sisters save her and kill Blue Beard. Setim and Fatima are reunited.
Blue Beard; or Female Curiosity! 