The Powerpop Girls: A New Diva Religion
★★★☆☆ Fun-Filled
TheSpace @ Niddry St (Venue 9): Mon 17 -Sat 22 Aug 2026
Review by Eilidh Sim
The Powerpop Girls: A New Diva Religion presented by Locked In Thought Theatre at theSpace @ Niddry St, is a comedic workplace drama focussing on different pop icons.
Written by Ryan Lithgow and produced by Fiona Forster, the play is set in a world where pop singers are seen as religious figures. Following the story of three workers, three of the religions are accidentally merged together, creating an entirely new one.
James Cumming and Indrid Heron. Pic: Emily Sharp.
The production is high in energy right from the very beginning, featuring sound effects made by the cast, along with actions and choreography to mark different moments of the performance.
The staging of the play has been used effectively by director Coco Schogler, despite minimal scenery. A small table, covered with a cloth and a blanket, remains throughout the play, and is used differently in different scenes to create a sense of multiple settings. The thrust stage is also effectively used, with actors turning to each side of the audience so that nothing is missed.
Jessica Donaldson is an amusing Millie, who sets out to try and fix the mistake that was made. She perfectly captures the hilarity of her character, and the work gone into the characterisation of Millie is clear.
contrasting characters
Indrid Heron is an eccentric Zee, who brings fun and laughter to the performance. Zee perfectly contrasts Millie, not really understanding how the religions work, in addition to being a lot more carefree about the whole situation. They lean into the comical aspects of their character, using their facial expressions and body language to add to the hilarity.
Serious Mr X (James Cumming) adds another level to the contrasting characters. Cummings is the boss, causing Millie and Zee to rush to fix things before he figures out what is going on. As the production goes on, Mr X becomes more carefree, showing the depth of the character.
Indrid Heron, Jessica Donaldson and James Cumming. Pic: Emily Sharp.
While the energy stays high throughout the whole performance, some of the choreography can be too much, going over the top. This causes the storyline to get lost as the characters just dance sillily around the stage. It can feel like it is designed to only elicit a laugh from the audience and not because it has any significance to the plot.
Some of the pop culture references and jokes about singers get lost, however the majority of them are easy to follow and create a significant amount of comedy.
The Powerpop Girls: A New Diva Religion is a comical fun filled play, which explores pop icons as religious figures, mixing both camp and adventure to create a heartfelt story about friendship.
Running time: 50 minutes (no interval).
TheSpace @ Niddry St (Studio), Niddry Street EH1 1TH (Venue 9).
Monday 17 – Sat 22 August 2026.
Daily: 7.05pm.
Tickets and details: Book here at EdFringe.com.
Tickets direct from venue: Book here.
Locked In Thought website: www.lockedinthought.co.uk
Instagram: @lockedinthoughtprods
Linktree: @lockedinthoughtprods.
Indrid Heron and Jessica Donaldson. Pic Emily Sharp.
ENDS
