Brighton Fringe 2026
Witches, Britches and B*tches
Georgia May Bishop
Genre: Music, Opera and Operatic Theatre
Venue: Lantern Theatre Brighton
Festival: Brighton Fringe
Low Down
“From shameless show off to opera singer, step into a world of captivating musical storytelling as Georgia Mae Bishop takes you on a journey through music and theatre’s most iconic Witches, Britches, and B*tches.
“In this enchanting and intimate evening of stereotypes and surprises, expect a thrilling fusion of operatic arias, show tunes, and pop anthems, ranging from Mozart and Verdi to Beyoncé and Lady Gaga. The magic of theatre as you’ve never seen it before, with killer vocals that defy genre and touching anecdotes of the life of a wannabe theatre kid turned professional opera singer.”
Review
Blending opera, contemporary music and personal storytelling, this intimate performance offered audiences an entertaining and musically accomplished evening. Presented in the upstairs space at the Lantern Theatre, the show combined operatic technique with modern repertoire, humour and autobiography, creating an accessible and engaging hour led by a confident and highly capable performer.
The audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy an evening that blended opera, a bit of personal storytelling and contemporary songs. Preconceptions were challenged as It’s a Kind of Magic was given an operatic flavour, which perhaps is not so off-beam given that himself could reportedly smash a glass or two without touching them.
A singer, a piano, a neat and clever narrative, a full-hearted, full-blooded opera singer, raconteur and a willing audience – what else do you need for a thoroughly enjoyable evening?
It is all slightly educational, but never too much, and this is primarily entertaining. We are the guests of somebody fully on top of what she does, which is to sing superbly. Her opera is more consistently accomplished than her singing of the contemporary repertoire, but the overall standard is still top drawer. I certainly looked towards the Lantern Theatre windows on more than one occasion, secretly hoping they would smash to bits as top notes were hit with ease.
It is a very neat conceit to blend classical opera with , and the warm smiles from the audience and their leaning in demonstrated a companionable evening themed around how a singing voice can be both a blessing and a curse in terms of being cast, or even typecast, in operatic roles. And yet perhaps that is what happens with the voices of modern singers as well, and perhaps we learn to accept it and take permission to mash it all up together. That is what happens here, and it is all very successful and an evening well worth being highly recommended by this reviewer.
It is an enjoyable, engaging evening, laced with a bit of autobiography and plenty of wry humour. Pianist and singer are seamlessly joined up, and the hour goes by too quickly. The intimate space upstairs at the Lantern Theatre lent itself to a close-up experience, which is a bit of a treat given that this is finely crafted and delivered music right on top of its audience. This would work in a much larger venue, but it felt like a particular privilege here.
Overall, I am happy to highly recommend this hour in the company of an excellent performer: confident, self-aware and generous in the sharing of both the music and her story with the audience. It is also a testament to those singers who need no microphone when they lean back onto their heels and deliver for all they are worth.
In the end, the evening succeeds because it refuses to place artificial boundaries around music, performance or storytelling. Opera, popular music and autobiography are allowed to coexist naturally, creating something both accessible and artistically assured. The result is a warm, intelligent and vocally impressive performance that leaves its audience entertained, surprised and thoroughly satisfied.
