Review: Bibbity Bobbity Boorloo at The Jonesway Theatre
Bibbity Bobbity Boorloo at The Jonesway Theatre
Saturday, February 7, 2026
On Saturday night, a small stage at The Jonesway Theatre came to life with laughter, music and magical shenanigans as Bright Side Productions’ new musical comedy show, Bibbity Bobbity Boorloo, gifted audiences with an unconventional twist on their favourite fairytale stories.
Operating alongside Bright Side Productions’ second show, Coded Comedy, and fresh off its global debut at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Bibbity Bobbity Boorloo promised a night of delight for those eager to escape reality. The show follows the tale of a princess from a faraway land, who grants a wish to her fairy godmother to travel to the “beautiful beaches” in the “Kingdom of Australia”. However, the princess instead lands in the clutches of the Australian Border Force Security, and from there, a 55-minute-long comedic battle of wills ensues.
Princess, a blindingly optimistic yet utterly ditzy character played by Bright Side Productions founder and show director Amy Fortnum, was immediately at odds with the sarcastic, hardened customs officer, Nicole, played by Hannah Julii Anderson. The pair engaged in witty, entertaining dialogue as Nicole droned on about passports, identification and job security, whilst Princess jubilantly prattled on about witnessing Perth’s “Giant Cactus”, the “Tower of Bells” and the “River of Swans”. Polar opposites gelled perfectly well, as Fortnum, dressed in a glittering purple gown and tiara, captured the juvenile innocence and frivolity of a stereotypical fairytale princess, whilst Anderson expertly nailed the role of a jaded, overworked officer.
With a refreshing departure from the linear narrative of fairytales, the show was peppered with comedic outbursts as Princess and Nicole slowly fostered mutual respect. A standout was Nicole treating Princess to the ‘ways of Australians’ by giving her liquor, to which Princess promptly fell unconscious, only to be saved by true love’s kiss. Princess also hilariously screamed curse words at the hooting crowd after Nicole introduced her to swearing.
Much like the princesses in Disney’s Frozen and Cinderella films, Princess also spontaneously sprang into song. Fortnum’s strong vocals were on full display as she sang original ballads by Alyona Popova and Jackson Harper Griggs, with lyrics detailing princess problems, human kindness, and, rather poignantly, the patriarchal social norms that restrict women’s freedoms.
In this way, the show wasn’t just a hilarious rewrite of the princess-needs-saving narrative. It explored the stories of two strong female characters who, trapped in their existences, embraced their differences to forge a new, better reality for themselves. A critique of Australia’s strict immigration policies also framed the show, and it felt clever and unforced in its delivery. A minor note was that the show ended rather abruptly and felt somewhat unfinished in fleshing out the characters’ resolutions.
Overall, Bibbity Bobbity Boorloo was a fresh, light-hearted mix of pure chaos, immigration policies, and fairytale magic, with strong underlying messaging presented in a highly original way.
NATASHA PAUL