Edinburgh Fringe Fairytale Musicals Test Projections for Commercial UK Runs
Two fairytale-themed musical productions are using the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to engineer professional UK theatre futures, bringing familiar titles and larger-than-standard casts to the festival circuit, according to reviews of current festival offerings. While the Edinburgh fringe is traditionally known as a crucible for entirely new work, productions like Bliss and Disenchanted! are arriving with prior international histories in search of commercial longevity.
According to production details, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe itself dates back to 1947, when eight uninvited theatre groups performed at the Edinburgh International Festival, leading to the creation of the Fringe Society in 1958 to aid development without vetting the programme, a policy that remains core to the festival today, as reported by edinburghfestivalcity.com.
Bliss Scales Up Fringe Conventions With Large Cast and Powerpop Scores
Co-created by Tyler Beattie and Emma Lively, the musical Bliss won a new play award in the US in 2019 and had its world premiere in Seattle the following year, followed by the release of a handful of its songs in 2022. Billed as the biggest new musical of the fringe, the production features a cast of 17 and an 80-minute running time, both exceeding standard fringe proportions, according to source reporting.
The production features copper-bottomed powerpop songs like “Inside These Castle Walls,” which sets the scene of four princess sisters locked away by an over-protective single father, alongside “Break Through the Dark” and the ballad “Save a Dance.” The sisters are strongly delineated: Faye, played by Miriam Nyarko, seeks action; Carmella, played by Alexandra Emmerson-Kirby, seeks fame; Holly, played by Matilda Shapland, loves animals; and Piper, played by Akshara Gunda, loves science, according to the review.
Tom Bennett, known for House of the Dragon, plays a 500-year-old fairy godfather named Glimmermore, who lures Piper into a pink lagoon to rid her of imperfections—drawing clear parallels to online beauty filters. Piper subsequently marries a flashy raver prince played by Jordan Calloway. Co-produced by West End hit factory ATG, the show currently uses a minimal set suited to fringe logistics but holds potential for larger scaled-up set pieces and a venue transition similar to Six.
Disenchanted! Brings Off-Broadway Revue to UK Audiences
Created by Dennis T Giacino and Fiely Matias, Disenchanted! received its first workshop in New York in 2009 and ran off-Broadway over ten years ago. Following a professional UK theatre debut in Warwickshire last year, the Lichfield Garrick production is presented at the fringe by The Production Garden with future touring intentions, according to production accounts.
Styled as an 80-minute revue for famous princesses, the show features hosts Cinderella (Rosie Napper), Sleeping Beauty (Roshaan Saulnier), and Snow White (Lois Glenister) guiding an audience of over-14s through numbers where princesses rail against their fate and traditional depictions. Eliza Bowden stars as a drunken Little Mermaid with “two legs too many,” Ashley New portrays Hua Mulan and Pocahontas, and Jewelle Hutchinson plays The Princess (Who Kissed a Frog).
Did you know? The Edinburgh Festival Fringe welcomes artists from around the globe for three weeks every August, featuring everything from theatre and comedy to dance, circus, cabarets, and musicals across hundreds of stages citywide, according to edinburghfestivalcity.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can audiences see Bliss and Disenchanted! at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
According to festival schedules, Bliss is playing at the Pleasance Courtyard until August 31, while Disenchanted! The Hit Musical is running at the Pleasance at EICC until August 30.
What are the origins of these musical productions?
Bliss won a US new play award in 2019 and premiered in Seattle in 2020. Disenchanted! held its first New York workshop in 2009, ran off-Broadway over a decade ago, and made its professional UK debut in Warwickshire last year.
What is the history of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
The fringe originated in 1947 when eight uninvited theatre groups performed alongside the Edinburgh International Festival, prompting the establishment of the Fringe Society in 1958, which maintains a non-vetting policy for the programme, according to edinburghfestivalcity.com.
Explore More: Check out our latest coverage of UK theatre debuts, festival reviews, and upcoming performing arts schedules to stay informed on what is shaping the stage.
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