The Kingdom of the Future; An illustration for Maeterlinck's, 'The Blue Bird'

Cayley Robinson created the original set designs for Maurice Maeterlinck's play The Blue Bird, which was shown at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket in December 1909. The present drawing is an illustration for the 1911 edition. The play, which was extremely well received, is an allegorical fantasy written for children in which the children of a woodcutter fall asleep after a disappointing Christmas. In the ensuing dream sequence they pass through the Land of Memory, the Palace of the Night and the Kingdom of the Future in pursuit of the Blue Bird who ultimately saves the life of their neighbour's dying child. Maeterlinck himself said of the designs that 'they interpretted the story from within.'

The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge has recently acquired seven set designs for The Blue Bird by Robinson along with a watercolour study for the original poster, see J. Munro, exhibition catalogue, Chasing Happiness: Maurice Maeterlinck, The Blue Bird and England, Fitzwilliam Museum, 2006.