Review: Bliss

📍 Grand, Pleasance Courtyard

🗓️ 19th August 2026

🎟️ PR Invite

📸 Image Credit: Marc Brenner

Bliss has been a highly anticipated show this Edinburgh Fringe, so I was excited to finally see it - and while it has a few areas that could be tightened, there’s a lot to enjoy.

Written by Emma Lively and Tyler Beattie, Bliss follows the story of four young and naive princesses - each with their own quirks, intelligence and beliefs - who have been trapped inside their tower by their father for years, until they decide it’s time to break out into the real world. But is the outside world as wonderful as they expected it to be and what does perfection truly mean?

From the off, I was impressed by the set but a little underwhelmed - seemingly just the illusion of vines covering the back walls. However, it quickly became clear once the show began that this was going to be a spectacle.

I enjoyed the plot of this story - there are silly characters, a lot of humour, and plenty of lessons learned throughout the 80-minute runtime. However, to really elevate this show to the next level, there are a few areas that could be developed further. We spend a lot of time hearing about the ball, without ever actually seeing it. I do imagine that is partly due to the limited runtime, but leaving it out does create a noticeable gap in the story. Some of the character development also feels a little rushed, and I would have liked to see more of this.

That said, I really did enjoy it. This type of show is right up my street and I can definitely see the potential. With catchy songs…one of which was already on my playlist for months…the staging of this show is quite impressive. The lighting really stood out to me throughout the performance, with the back wall lighting up in bright colours - completely changing my mind after initially thinking the set was underwhelming. There was an issue with sound at a couple of points during the performance also - with the music being quite loud, there were moments (particularly when we’re first introduced to the prince) that it was incredibly difficult to hear the lyrics. As impressive as the sound and lighting is, it might be worth toning it back slightly to really focus on the story and the lyrics.

Featuring 17 cast members, this is definitely an impressive element of the show. The four sisters - Faye (Miriam Nyarko), Piper (Akshara Gunda), Holly (Matilda Shapland) and Carmella (Alexandra Emmerson-Kirby) - really capture the different personalities of their respective princess characters, or at least within the limits of their character growth, while also delivering stunning vocals. Tom Bennett as Glimmermore was fantastic in the role and brought a lot of fun to the performance. But it must be said that the entire cast gave their all to this performance and brought a lot of energy to the stage. The costume design and set design also really elevate the performance.

Overall, Bliss is a fun, visually impressive production that still has room to grow further before it hits a bigger stage. Like any princess story, there’s an important lesson to be learned by the end of it and, from the spectacle of the performance to the impressive vocals from the entire cast, it’s the kind of show that fills your heart with joy. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next for this show because there’s a lot of potential here and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Bliss continues its run at Pleasance Courtyard until 31 August at 13:00