Bliss is billed as “the biggest new musical of the Edinburgh Fringe.” From the producers of Cabaret and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, this fun new show puts a fresh twist on the traditional fairy tale. The story follows four princess sisters who are locked away in a tower by their fiercely overprotective Dad who is king. Desperate to see what life is like outside, they eventually break free of the walls and discover a world very different from the one they imagined.
For an Edinburgh Fringe production, Bliss is certainly ambitious, and it has the budget to match. The set design by Jason Ardizzone-West is one of the show’s real strengths. The backdrop is made up of neon tube ‘wires’ that twist and intertwine, pulsing along with the story and lighting up the stage in a rainbow of colours. It creates a bold and colourful fairytale world, and the staging is particularly impressive given the limitations that often come with a Fringe production.
The show markets itself as being suitable for anyone from 8 to 88, but Bliss definitely feels aimed at a younger audience, particularly teenagers. It some elements it seems takes inspiration from popular musicals such as Six and Fangirls, with a strong focus on female empowerment and the message that you are perfect just as you are. It’s probably going to resonate most with younger women, but the message of being happy with who you are is one that anyone can get behind.
Emma Lively and Tyler Beattie have written the book, music and lyrics for Bliss, creating a musical that leans heavily into a modern pop sound. It feels very much in keeping with the style that younger musical theatre audiences are enjoying at the moment, and should appeal strongly to the show’s target demographic.
The opening number, ‘Inside These Castle Walls’, is a rousing way to start the show and quickly introduces us to the sisters and their world. It explains why they have been kept inside the tower following the death of their mother, while also giving us an early sense of the characters and their situation. Musically, there are clear influences from other modern hit musicals, with the opening chords in particular bringing to mind Six and its number ‘Get Down.’
With a cast of 17, this is arguably one of the most stacked shows at the Edinburgh Fringe. While the story follows four princesses, there is a clear standout at its centre, Princess Piper, played by Akshara Gunda. Piper begins as a young, enthusiastic astronomer, dreaming of seeing a comet fly past with her own eyes. However after being convinced to take ‘dip’ in the Pink Lagoon, she is transformed into what appears to be the near-perfect bride for Prince Devlin.
Gunda handles the character’s transformation with real sincerity, bringing vulnerability to Piper. Her rendition of ‘Save A Dance’ is particularly stunning. A beautiful, tender moment.
Whilst the other three princesses don’t get quite as much character development, presumably due to the condensed one-act running time of this version, Alexandra Emmerson-Kirby still makes an impact as the sassy, outspoken Princess Carmella with insane vocal runs to match. Miriam Nyarko, who usually plays Princess Faye, was indisposed for this performance, meaning Misty May Tindall had to step into the role. She deserves plenty of credit for taking on one of the show’s lead roles when the production has been open for less than a week. Matilda Shapland also makes the most of every moment she gets on stage as Princess Holly. Holly feels like a character who could become much more interesting with a little more time in the story.
The supporting cast are led by Tom Bennett as Fairy Godfather Glimmermore, a wonderfully panto-esque villain whose main ambition is to earn his fairy wings by being a fairytale matchmaker. The character leans more towards whimsy than outright menace, and could perhaps benefit from a slightly darker edge, but Bennett clearly has fun with the role. Jordan Calloway as Prince Devin, meanwhile, is giving us his best Justin Bieber meets Romeo from & Juliet pop-boy fantasy and honestly, here for it.
This has all the makings of the next musical to really capture the attention of a younger audience. There’s still room for Bliss to grow, but the potential is certainly there. Give it a little more time, a little more character development and a bigger stage, and it could be, well, bliss.
★★★★
Gifted ticket in exchange for an honest review.