Edinburgh Fringe Review 14th August 2026

This was one of those shows that immediately caught my eye. I first encountered the company while supporting the Edinburgh Food Project, when we appeared on the same bill at a Spotlight charity show in an outer corner of George Square. At one point, their backing track failed, but they carried on singing and sounded fantastic regardless. The catchy songs, retro costumes reminiscent of Scooby-Doo and the intriguing Bette Davis theme left me eager to see the full show the following day. I was not disappointed.

Part fact and part fantasy, the show presents a wildly imaginative biography of Bette Davis. Her daughter, B. D. Hyman, gave the world plenty of extraordinary stories, particularly about the alleged shenanigans surrounding the filming of the 1975 horror film Burnt Offerings. Oliver Reed and Karen Black feature prominently in scenes that may be fantastical, may contain grains of truth or may somehow be both. If you know anything about Oliver Reed, you will probably agree that almost anything seems believable.

You do not need to know the precise history or even where the truth ends and the invention begins. Simply surrender to the beautifully staged madness and its catchy, gloriously camp songs. Beneath all the fun, the show also has something worthwhile to say about misogyny in the film industry and about age being no barrier to ambition or achievement.

It is a lovely piece of escapism, and the performers carry the whole show with aplomb.

• Production: The Bloody Ballad of Bette Davis
• Company: Piper Theatre
• Venue: Assembly Roxy
• Date reviewed: 14 August 2026
• Running time: 60 minutes
• Tickets and information: Edinburgh Fringe website