Review: Bliss

06/08/2026 at the Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh by Stuart Clarkson

There’s something rather special about discovering a musical at the Edinburgh Fringe before the rest of the theatre world gets hold of it. Bliss feels exactly like that – an ambitious, joy-filled new musical that already looks destined for a life well beyond Edinburgh.

Written by Emma Lively and Tyler Beattie, Bliss cleverly turns the traditional fairytale on its head. Four princess sisters – Piper, Faye, Carmella and Holly – escape the tower where they’ve spent their lives waiting for their happily-ever-after, only to discover that the real world is messier, funnier and far more empowering than the stories they’ve been told.

I was lucky enough to catch the very first performance of the Edinburgh run on 6th August, and it turned into a wonderfully unique theatrical experience. Tom Bennett, who plays the gloriously flamboyant Fairy Godfather Glimmermore, had lost his voice before curtain-up. Rather than cancel, co-writer Tyler Beattie stepped in to provide Glimmermore’s dialogue and vocals live from the side of the stage, while Bennett continued performing every movement, dance and comic beat in character. It could easily have been distracting, but instead it became a testament to the professionalism, creativity and teamwork behind this production – and the audience absolutely loved it.

The heart of Bliss is its four leading women. Akshara Gunda, Miriam Nyarko, Alexandra Emmerson-Kirby and Matilda Shapland are outstanding together, with harmonies that are genuinely spine-tingling. Their chemistry feels effortless – there are laugh-out-loud moments and the score gives each of them moments to shine individually while sounding sensational as a quartet.

With a cast of 17, this is the biggest new musical at the Edinburgh Fringe this year, and has a behind the scenes team with strong credentials from productions including Cabaret and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

The songs are instantly catchy too. There’s a contemporary pop-musical sound throughout, with memorable melodies that linger long after leaving the theatre – always a good sign for a brand-new score.

Visually, Bliss is incredibly inventive. Despite a deliberately minimalist set, clever lighting, imaginative props and slick choreography create a colourful fairytale world that constantly transforms before your eyes. It’s proof that you don’t need enormous scenery when the storytelling is this inventive.

Is it the finished article? Probably not. At around 80 minutes with no interval there will be some development needed to bring it to the West End and regional theatres. But I have no doubt we’ll see this show on a bigger stage in the future.

The show runs at the Pleasance Courtyard until Monday 31st August – then, who know what’s next?

Find out more and take a listen to some of the song at blissthemusical.com