Annie Lux's CHARMING Will Play Edinburgh Fringe

Fringe Management and FiatLuxe will present the world premiere of CHARMING, A New Comedy by Annie Lux and directed by Lee Costello.

Cinderella wants a divorce?! Prince Charming’s already trying day is about to get worse when Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother presents him with a list of demands he must fulfil in order to change Cinderella’s mind. Is the Prince willing to change? Are Cinderella’s demands even reasonable? Is divorce even possible in the realm of fairytale?

Playwright Annie Lux reunites with director Lee Costello following their award-winning The Portable Dorothy Parker, which garnered rave reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe 2023.  The cast comprises Nigel Miles-Thomas, who is also bringing back Sherlock Holmes: The Last Act to this year’s festival; Robin of Sherwood star Claire Toeman; and Margot Avery, who was last seen at the Fringe in The Portable Dorothy Parker.

Annie Lux’s previous works include Natural Disasters, Lives of Saints, Grimm Reality, and The Portable Dorothy Parker, which won the Selke Award for best show at the 2017 Pittsburgh Fringe Festival. The Portable Dorothy Parker was most recently presented at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe and at the 2024 Adelaide Fringe and has also been presented in fringe festivals in New York City, Hollywood, and Pittsburgh, as well as in numerous theatres around the US and at The Phoenix Artists Club in London. Her new play, Frost, about an incident in which Helen Keller was accused of plagiarism at the age of 11, is currently in development and was featured in the 2022 Winterfest series at EST/LA. She holds degrees in playwriting from New York University and Columbia University. Annie has also written for publications including New Mexico magazine, Jane magazine, New Observations, and SantaFe.com. Her book, Historic New Mexico Churches, was a finalist at the 2007 New Mexico Book Awards. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Lee Costello has directed numerous productions in New York and Los Angeles, as well as in regional theatres around the US. She is a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre and Ensemble Studio Theatre, LA. While living in New York, she was a member of The Circle Rep Lab, The Women’s Project and Productions, and was a teaching artist for The Lincoln Center Institute. Credits there include Extensions by Murray Schisgal and The Portable Dorothy Parker at Ensemble Studio Theatre, Cowboy Girl at New York Theatre Workshop, Heads at La Mama, The Adventures of She-Man at The Westbank Theatre Bar, and Did I Vote For You? an original play with music that received a special performance grant from the Franklin Furnace.  Lee wrote and directed The NOW Show, (a multimedia send-up of late-night talk shows), which sold out for its entire run at Dixon Place. Her short play Hearts, Flowers, and Jell-O was featured at the 10th anniversary of The 52nd Street Project at Lincoln Center.

Lee directed both The Portable Dorothy Parker and If Truth Be Told for The Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2023. Lee now resides in Los Angeles, where her production of A Death-Defying Escape at The Hudson Guild Theatre won critical acclaim. Waiting For Grace at The Odyssey Theatre and Transition at the Lounge Theatre were each chosen by The Huffington Post as one of the Top Ten theatre productions in Los Angeles for 2016 and 2017. She directed Skin Jobs for The Hollywood Fringe Festival where the production received a Tvolution: Best of Los Angeles Theatre pick, Bitter Lemons DoubleSweet award and a Best of Broadwater award. Other direction includes plays for Ensemble Studio Theatre LA, Theatre of Note, Highways, The Second City, The Blank Theatre, and REDCAT at the Disney Concert Hall. Currently she is the Executive Director of Mob Rule, Incorporated, a non-profit community outreach project. Next up for Lee is a production of Brecht’s The Jewish Wife in 2026.

Fringe Management is celebrating 25 years at the Fringe!  Over the past quarter century, Fringe Management, under the stewardship of Michael Blaha and Nigel Miles-Thomas, has produced more than 100 shows.  Michael and Nigel first met in 1990 when they planned and produced the first pantomime in Hollywood, Cinderella starring Zsa Zsa Gabor. They were the founding producers of The Pajama Men and have presented the Spinal Tap and The Simpsons legend Harry Shearer to Edinburgh Fringe audiences. They won a Fringe First in 2001 with Runt. Their production of Blood of the Lamb won the Critics Award at the 2024 Adelaide Fringe.

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