Disenchanted! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Forget happily ever after! Cinderella's done cleaning, Sleeping Beauty's wide awake and Snow White's calling the shots now. These princesses don't want to play nice; they want to storm the castle! One showstopping number at a time.

The full cast of Disenchanted (Pamela Raith Photography)

Daniel Buckroyd's direction is okay, but there isn't a huge amount of staging beyond the princesses walking from one side of the stage to the other. Given the show's larger-than-life concept, I would like a more theatrical imagination in how the story was physically presented. There are moments where the production has the opportunity to really welcome its own silliness, but the direction regularly feels like it is playing things relatively safe.

The choreography by Kayleigh Dettmer is lively and brings some much-needed energy to the production. The cast throw themselves into the routines, and there is plenty of enthusiasm onstage, but I would have liked to see more of it. With a show this colourful and energetic, there is plenty of scope for bigger and more memorable movement sequences.

Sara Perks' set design is a real visual treat. The faux proscenium arch creates an appropriately theatrical frame for the action, whilst the sign looks fantastic and immediately establishes the production's playful tone. It is a simple design, but one that understands exactly what this sort of show needs. Sometimes you don't need an entire enchanted forest onstage. A good fake theatre arch will do the job nicely.

Jewelle Hutchinson in Disenchanted (Pamela Raith Photography)

The costume design, also by Sara Perks, is mostly very good, with a lovely interpretation of a familiar character. There is clearly an attempt to move away from the traditional Disney princess image, and Snow White is the perfect example of this. The punk rocker aesthetic is bold, fun and genuinely feels like a reinvention of the character.

Which is why I wanted that same bravery across the rest of the costumes. Once Snow White has been given such a distinctive new look, it feels slightly disappointing when the other princesses appear much closer to the versions we already know from the films. If you're going to rewrite the princess rulebook, why not throw the whole book out the window?

And same with the wigs and makeup, which are particularly lovely, with some really creative choices throughout. Again, though, Snow White feels like the character the production is most willing to take a risk with. The wigs and makeup could have been an opportunity to push the other characters further away from their traditional appearances and really establish this as a fresh take on the princesses.

The lighting by Barry Smith is lovely, deceptively simple but consistently effective. It works particularly well in the musical numbers, adding energy without becoming too distracting. There are a couple of occasions where moving lights are directed towards the audience, which is a fun touch, although their movements sometimes feel slightly too slow for the songs they are accompanying. A little more speed here could have made those moments land with greater impact. Sound design by Kieran Powell is mostly strong, although there are a handful of moments where the mix becomes slightly muddy, and the performers become harder to hear. For a musical that relies so heavily on its vocals, clarity is essential. Thankfully, these times are relatively brief, and the sound works well for the majority of the production.

Ashley New in Disenchanted (photo Pamela Raith Photography)

The book by Dennis T. Giacino is unfortunately where the production loses its way. There are plenty of individual ideas here, but the show would have benefited enormously from a plot connecting everything. Simply announcing at the beginning that the production is going to confront traditional princess conventions isn't quite enough of a plot. And just introducing a princess, then they sing a song, and it's that same cycle for 80 minutes and throwing in a few group numbers is not an entertaining show. There are some genuinely funny moments and plenty of possibility within the concept, but some of the jokes land better than others. A few feel more like they're reaching for an easy laugh rather than earning one, and when those jokes don't land, the gaps are noticeable.

The number of princesses also becomes slightly overwhelming. Some characters feel as though they have been included to fill time rather than because they serve the story. Jasmine is a good example. The initial visual gag is genuinely funny, particularly for the first couple of seconds. Still, because the joke continues for a whole song, you eventually find yourself wondering when the production is going to move on. The attempt to introduce a lesbian storyline also comes far too late in the piece. There is an interesting idea buried within it, and it could have provided an additional layer to the show's overall message, but arriving so close to the end and playing it so safe with that idea means there isn't enough time to explore it properly. Instead, it feels more like something the production suddenly felt like it needed to include before the curtain comes down.

Thankfully, the music and lyrics by Dennis T. Giacino and Fiely Matias provide some much-needed redemption. Most of the songs are genuinely enjoyable and give the cast plenty of opportunity to show off their vocal ability. Some numbers feel slightly out of place within the wider story, and a few songs are relying on the fact that the joke is inherently funny rather than making the joke itself funny. The "Tit" song is perhaps the clearest example of this. It certainly gets a reaction, but the comedy doesn't quite sustain itself for the length of the number. When the songs work, though, they really work. The musicality gives the production a much stronger sense of identity, and the score provides some of the evening's biggest bursts of energy.

The cast are, frankly, brilliant. Ashley New, Eliza Bowden, Jewelle Hutchinson, Lois Glenister, Roshaan Saulnier and Rosie Napper all bring enormous commitment and energy to the stage. The vocals are particularly impressive, with the company delivering some seriously strong singing throughout. Talent is abundant on that stage, and the performers manage to bring energy and spirit even when the writing doesn't always give them the strongest material to work with.

Lois Glenister as Snow White completely steals the show. Not only is the punk rocker interpretation visually brilliant, but the facial expressions are comedy gold. Even when Snow White is simply standing in the background, the reactions are so perfectly judged that I found myself watching her rather than the person actually singing. Sometimes the funniest person onstage is the one who isn't saying a word, and Glenister has that skill down to a fine art.

The whole company deserves credit for making the most of what they have been given. These are not two-dimensional performances by any means, even when some of the characters on the page occasionally feel that way. The cast brings so much personality, vocal strength and commitment that they frequently elevate the lack of material around them.

Disenchanted! has all the ingredients for a gloriously silly, sharp and subversive princess musical. There are some brilliant performances, strong vocals, attractive design work and some individual jokes and musical moments that really hit the mark. However, the lack of a strong connecting plot, some uneven comedy and a few ideas that arrive too late prevent the production from reaching the level it clearly has the potential to achieve.

But this is Edinburgh Fringe, and sometimes you want to sit in a room, watch a group of incredibly talented performers belt their hearts out and laugh at a princess pulling increasingly ridiculous facial expressions. And on that front, Disenchanted! certainly delivers. It may not completely rewrite the fairy tale, but it does provide enough laughs, talent and theatrical sparkle to make for a semi-entertaining Fringe outing.

If you want to be in the same place as royalty, then head on over to Pleasance at the EICC by visiting this link: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/disenchanted-hit-musical