Saving Britney ⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Millennials like Jean grew up with Britney Spears. Over the course of an hour see how the princess of pop influenced Jean's life and how the connections shared between them lead to an unbelievable moment of self-discovery."

The direction by David Shopland is well thought out. There are a couple of slightly odd moments where the choices don't completely land, but on the whole there is a nice, cohesive vision that is executed beautifully. The production knows exactly what kind of world it wants to create and, for the most part, stays firmly within it.

The set design is quite good for a Fringe show. It doesn't try to overcomplicate things or fill the stage with unnecessary scenery, instead giving the performer enough to establish the world while leaving plenty of room for the storytelling to take centre stage. It feels appropriately intimate for a piece that is ultimately telling one person's story.

The lighting design is mostly good and has a lovely overall vision. There are some nice choices that help create the different moments within Jean's story, although there are a few occasions where I felt it could have gone just a little further. Some states don't quite have the impact they could, particularly when the production is trying to move between the personal and the larger world of Britney Spears.

The sound design is actually really nicely balanced. It sits comfortably within the space without ever overpowering the performance, and it works particularly well in helping create that nostalgic early noughties atmosphere. When a show is dealing with someone whose life is so closely connected to music and pop culture, sound has to be carefully handled, and this strikes a lovely balance.

The book is alright. At its heart is a really interesting story about fangirls, superfans and the sometimes slightly terrifying level of obsession we can develop with people we have never actually met. There is plenty here to explore, particularly around celebrity culture, parasocial relationships and the way we can project parts of ourselves onto the people we idolise. The official description also highlights the show's exploration of celebrity obsession, sexuality and growing up in the early noughties. My main issue is that I felt the script only really grazes the surface of those ideas.

And if there is anywhere in the world where you can fully commit to an idea this wonderfully weird, it is the Edinburgh Fringe. I wanted it to go further. Much further. There are some fascinating questions bubbling underneath the story, but just as I was ready for it to really dig into them, it would move on. That said, it is genuinely funny. There are some great jokes throughout and a lovely sense of humour running through the piece. It never becomes overly heavy, which helps keep the show entertaining even when it is dealing with more serious ideas.

The performance by Shereen Roushbaiani is pretty good. She is charming, charismatic and brings a lovely warmth to Jean, making it easy to spend an hour with her. There is a real sense that she understands this character and the world she has created around her. Again, though, I wanted more. Roushbaiani has clearly got the ability to take this character much deeper, and I wanted to see her really dig into the more complicated sides of Jean's relationship with Britney and what that obsession represents. There are glimpses of something much more emotionally complex underneath the surface, but I often found myself wishing the performance would go one step further and really allow us into that.

There is also something very likeable about the way she handles the comedy. She never seems to be desperately reaching for the laugh, and that makes the humour feel natural rather than forced. It is a charming performance that could, with a little more emotional excavation, become something genuinely powerful.

Overall, Saving Britney is a charming, funny and nostalgic piece that takes a fascinating subject and wraps it in a very recognisable early noughties Britney shaped package. There are plenty of laughs, a charismatic central performance and a production that looks and sounds cohesive. For me, though, the biggest frustration is that I wanted it to be braver. There is absolutely enough here to enjoy, and Britney fans in particular will probably get an extra layer of nostalgic joy from it. But I left feeling that the show had the potential to say something much more interesting than it ultimately did.

Saving Britney is playing at Underbelly George Square, Bluebell, at 6:15pm, from 5 to 30 August 2026. It runs for approximately 60 minutes and is inspired by the #FreeBritney movement. Ready to hit this show baby one more time? Follow the link to book your tickets: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/saving-britney