EDINBURGH 2026: Review: BLISS, Pleasance Courtyard
Bliss runs at Edfringe until 31 August
Bliss is a new musical with book, music and lyrics by Emma Lively and Tyler Beattie and directed by Sheryl Kaller. It boasts a 17-strong cast, which is pretty much unheard of at the Fringe and it is produced by Susan Edelstein Productions, ATG Productions and Gavin Kalin Productions.
Four sisters are locked in a castle by their overprotective father, the King. He is obsessed with keeping his daughters safe from the outside world and he is a big believer in education so all they do is study. One night, the girls break out and encounter a pretty boy prince and their new mission in life is to dance with him at the ball. At this point, its difficult to believe that such intelligent girls would be interested in a guy they know nothing about.
There’s a fairy godfather who invites them to dip their toes in the pink lagoon in order to make them more appealing to the prince and their dreams come true. That is, to become physically perfect, agreeable and unable to think for yourself. The dream!
It’s another fairytale turned on its head as the new trend for unpredictable musicals has now also become deeply predictable. The four leads have great voices and the music is good but after a strong start you find yourself wondering what the point of the narrative is.
Comparisons to Six are inevitable, but Six's success and longevity stem from the heart behind it. Bliss is a pretty soulless affair, and the level of spectacle feels out of place at the Fringe.
Bliss looks and sounds great but it is let down by the storytelling.
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