The Cottingley Fairies

The production itself is energetic and inventive. The dual timelines—showing the girls both in youth and later life—add emotional depth, allowing the audience to reflect on the long shadow cast by a childhood deception. Performances across the ensemble are strong, with particular highlights in the portrayals of the older and younger versions of Frances (Nicole Cammack & Danielle Kelly-Honey) and Elsie (Blaize Middleton & Fern Mellor), which capture both mischief and regret. 

Musically, the show takes an interesting approach. The writing echoes the influence of Stephen Sondheim and Jason Robert Brown, particularly in its intricate, character-driven lyrics and the way the music weaves emotional storytelling with shifting, complex rhythms. While set in the early 1900s, the score leans into a more modern sound, creating a deliberate contrast that underlines the story’s ongoing relevance. The idea that people “choose to believe” what suits them resonates strongly in today’s digital age, giving the piece a surprising contemporary bite, especially in a world of AI technology. Choreography (Hannah Fairclough) is lively and imaginative, making full use of the Hippodrome’s more intimate studio space.  

The set design (Lu Herbert) conjures a quiet kind of magic, transforming the stage into an intimate woodland world that feels both playful and otherworldly, while cleverly doubling as the Wright family home. Soft clusters of fairy lights shimmer like hidden sprites among the trees, casting a warm, dappled glow that shifts effortlessly from enchanted glade to domestic space. Natural textures and layered greenery blend with simple, homely details, allowing the set to move fluidly between imagination and reality—perfectly echoing the story’s delicate balance between innocence, creativity, and illusion.