Papaver Productions Presents

How To Fix A Fairytale

Choose your adventure

Once upon a time, two characters’ worlds were upended by an invisible force called the audience. What happened next? Well, that is up to you…

Edinburgh Fringe 2026

How To Fix A Fairytale is a new family-friendly musical comedy with a difference; YOU choose the story! No fairytale trope is safe in this unexpected romp through the forest. An unlikely hero and a terrible villain embark on a great adventure. What their fates will be is for you to decide.

25-29th August 2026
10.30 am (50 minutes)
Mint Studio, Greenside @ George Street
5 + (advisory)

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Our Journey

How To Fix A Fairytale began as a short cabaret performance at the ADC Theatre, Cambridge, in November 2025, featuring musical numbers from Into The Woods, Tick Tick Boom!, Amelie, and The Little Mermaid. With the chance to develop the show as a Fringe performance, Toby and Julia have adapted it for a family-friendly audience, adding new original compositions by Ariella Gordon (CTRL + ALT + DECEIT!, Edinburgh Fringe 2024) to the renowned musical line-up!Taking a show to Edinburgh is an amazing opportunity, but it comes at a massive cost. Currently, we are self-funding our way there, and, as students, we just don’t have the money! If you would like to support our show please head to our crowdfunder and share!

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Meet The Team

Toby Trusted

Writer & Performer

Toby is an Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic finalist with a tendency to get involved in crazy and ambitious creative projects. Acting credits include Salomé (Salomé, Corpus Playroom, 2024), Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Twelfth Night, Cambridge Arts Theatre, 2026), and Evil Queen Grismerelda (CUADC/Footlights' Pantomime: Snow White, ADC Theatre, 2024). Toby has also tried their hand at directing, and in the last year has put on Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus (2025), and Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods (2026), both at the ADC Theatre.

Julia Da Costa

Writer & Performer

Julia is a comedy writer and performer, currently studying Veterinary Medicine at Cambridge. She is a member of the Cambridge Footlights, having written for a variety of sketch shows and comedy nights around Cambridge. She performed at the Edinburgh Fringe last year in the musical This Side of Life (C Arts, 2025), alongside singing her comedy songs at Free Footlights (Just the Tonic, 2025). She loves all things musical theatre, and is so excited to be working again with Toby to bring How To Fix A Fairytale to the Fringe this year! Previous credits: Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (ADC Theatre, 2024), Snow White in CUDAC/Footlights Pantomime: Snow White (ADC Theatre, 2024).

Poppy Lankester

Producer

Poppy is an experienced theatre producer whose recent credits include sell-out runs of Sister Act (2024) and The Great Gatsby (2026) at the ADC Theatre, Cambridge. She is returning to the Fringe after producing the Highly Recommended Edinburgh Fringe show CTRL + ALT + DECEIT! in 2024.