REVIEW: Bliss ★★★★☆ | Edfringe 2026

Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 | Pleasance Courtyard

Most Fringe shows involve squeezing three performers, a chair and some questionable homemade scenery into a tiny room.

Bliss apparently didn't get that memo.

With a cast of 17 West End performers, a live band, dazzling costumes and enough production value to make you wonder whether you've accidentally wandered into the West End, this new musical arrives at the Pleasance Grand with some serious ambition.

The story follows four intelligent princess sisters who have spent their lives locked away in a tower by their overprotective father.

When they finally escape into the outside world, they discover princes, balls and the fabulously sinister Fairy Godfather Glimmermore — who promises them their happily ever after, provided they're willing to change themselves to get it.

It's essentially a fairytale asking:

What if happily ever after is actually a load of rubbish?

Visually, Bliss is hugely impressive.

The lighting, costumes and choreography create something far bigger than you'd normally expect from a Fringe musical, while the pop-rock score is delivered by a seriously talented company.

Tom Bennett almost walks away with the entire thing as Glimmermore, bringing exactly the right amount of camp, sparkle and menace, while Jordan Calloway's ridiculously glamorous Prince Devin gets one of the show's most memorable entrances.

The four princesses are also superb vocally, throwing themselves into the material with enormous energy.

Where Bliss isn't quite as successful is its story.

The idea of turning traditional fairytale expectations upside down isn't exactly new, and there are moments where the message feels more obvious than clever. With four sisters' stories squeezed into around 80 minutes, some characters and relationships don't get enough room to develop either.

It occasionally feels less like a finished musical and more like watching the very expensive first draft of something that could eventually become brilliant.

But there's definitely something here.

It's colourful, energetic, unapologetically huge and packed with talent.

With a little more work on the book and more breathing room for its characters, Bliss could have a very interesting life beyond Edinburgh.

It might not quite have found its happily ever after yet...

but it's certainly heading in the right direction.

★★★★☆ – 4/5