LS6 Theatre’s Happily Ever Never at Edinburgh Fringe takes us behind the glitter, costumes and carefully manufactured magic of the princess party industry. On the surface, everything is smiles, sparkles and happily ever afters, but behind the scenes things are considerably more complicated.
The production follows the world of the Princess Party Planners, where performers are expected to create magical experiences regardless of what might be happening in their own lives. As the pressures of the job intensify, one performer begins to realise that the fairytale she is selling isn’t quite so magical for her. Feelings become increasingly difficult to ignore and eventually the princess mask has to come off.
I met LS6 Theatre during the Fringe and they are a fantastic company, full of passion for their production. Speaking to them, you could really sense how much they cared about Happily Ever Never and the work they had put into bringing it to the Fringe.
The show itself involves us as audience members, which fits particularly well with the princess party setting. We aren’t completely passive observers and there are moments where the production reaches out into the audience. Some lucky patrons even received items during the performance – the glow wand was particularly memorable!
The pace and script were good, with the production moving from scene to scene with ease. For the most part, I felt involved in what was happening. It felt as though we were being allowed to witness both sides of the princess world: the carefully presented magic on one side and the behind-the-scenes relationships and politics on the other.
That contrast is one of the strengths of Happily Ever Never. There is humour and fun within the production, but underneath the glitter is a more serious story. The fairytale setting provides a good backdrop for exploring what happens when someone’s real feelings no longer fit the character they are expected to play.
Lighting was also used to good effect throughout the production and helped support the different scenes and changes in atmosphere.
Watching the cast overall during the performance I attended, however, I got the sense that they weren’t quite on top form. The energy levels felt lower than I would have expected and it didn’t have that “day one” energy about it.
This could simply have been tiredness from performing production after production at the Fringe, particularly when you consider everything else companies are doing during the day, or it could just have been a bad day. Live theatre is live theatre, and sometimes a performance simply doesn’t have quite the same energy as another.
Importantly, I didn’t see anything fundamentally wrong underneath the surface. Happily Ever Never has humour, a good script, a strong premise and talented performers. I could see the ingredients were there; I just didn’t feel they were all firing at their strongest during the particular performance I attended.
I also noticed during a few scenes that the stage blocking wasn’t quite right. There were moments where the positioning of the actors could have been stronger, and I would suggest the company looks again at where the actors are performing during certain scenes to see whether improvements can be made. Some relatively small adjustments could help the production feel stronger across the whole performance space.
There are talented cast members in Happily Ever Never, but on the performance I saw, I just didn’t feel they shone their brightest. That is an important distinction because I don’t think the issue lies with the underlying production itself.
Happily Ever Never is an enjoyable show with a strong storyline, good humour and an interesting premise. The audience involvement adds another dimension, while the contrast between the manufactured magic of the princess world and the reality behind the scenes gives the production its heart.
There is a good show here. On the performance I attended, it simply needed more energy and some tightening of the staging to allow the strengths already within the production to shine through.
Overall, 3 stars.
Happily Ever Never | Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Glitter, laughs and a fairytale with something to say
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