diff --git a/dotcom-rendering/playwright.config.ts b/dotcom-rendering/playwright.config.ts
index d9e01b4cf88..a7dcaea7d5d 100644
--- a/dotcom-rendering/playwright.config.ts
+++ b/dotcom-rendering/playwright.config.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 import { defineConfig, devices } from '@playwright/test';
 
 const isDev = process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production';
+
 /**
  * The server port for local development or CI
  */
 export const PORT = isDev ? 3030 : 9000;
+export const ORIGIN = `http://localhost:${PORT}`;
 
 /**
  * See https://playwright.dev/docs/test-configuration.
@@ -19,7 +21,7 @@ export default defineConfig({
 	// Retry on CI only
 	retries: process.env.CI ? 3 : 1,
 	// Workers run tests files in parallel
-	workers: process.env.CI ? 4 : undefined,
+	workers: process.env.CI ? 4 : 2,
 	// Reporter to use. See https://playwright.dev/docs/test-reporters
 	reporter: [['line'], ['html', { open: 'never' }]],
 	// Shared settings for all the projects below. See https://playwright.dev/docs/api/class-testoptions
@@ -38,12 +40,13 @@ export default defineConfig({
 			use: { ...devices['Desktop Chrome'] },
 		},
 	],
-	webServer: {
-		// On CI the server is already started so a no-op
-		command: isDev ? 'make dev' : ':',
-		url: `http://localhost:${PORT}`,
-		reuseExistingServer: true,
-		stdout: 'pipe',
-		stderr: 'pipe',
-	},
+	webServer: isDev
+		? {
+				command: 'make dev',
+				url: ORIGIN,
+				reuseExistingServer: true,
+				stdout: 'pipe',
+				stderr: 'pipe',
+		  }
+		: undefined,
 });
diff --git a/dotcom-rendering/playwright/lib/load-page.ts b/dotcom-rendering/playwright/lib/load-page.ts
index d28f6aa96bf..e8c9620148f 100644
--- a/dotcom-rendering/playwright/lib/load-page.ts
+++ b/dotcom-rendering/playwright/lib/load-page.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,131 @@
-import type { Page } from '@playwright/test';
-import { PORT } from 'playwright.config';
+import type { Cookie, Page } from '@playwright/test';
+import { ORIGIN } from '../../playwright.config';
 import type { FEArticle } from '../../src/frontend/feArticle';
-import { validateAsFEArticle } from '../../src/model/validate';
+import type { FEFront } from '../../src/frontend/feFront';
+import {
+	validateAsFEArticle,
+	validateAsFEFront,
+} from '../../src/model/validate';
 
-const BASE_URL = `http://localhost:${PORT}`;
+type LoadPageOptions = {
+	queryParams?: Record<string, string>;
+	queryParamsOn?: boolean;
+	fragment?: `#${string}`;
+	waitUntil?: 'domcontentloaded' | 'load';
+	region?: 'GB' | 'US' | 'AU' | 'INT';
+	preventSupportBanner?: boolean;
+	overrides?: {
+		configOverrides?: Record<string, unknown>;
+		switchOverrides?: Record<string, unknown>;
+		feFixture?: FEArticle | FEFront;
+	};
+};
+
+type LoadPageParams = {
+	page: Page;
+	path: string;
+} & LoadPageOptions;
+
+/**
+ * @param path The path for a DCR endpoint path
+ *		e.g. `/Article/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/19/the-big-church-move-sweden-kiruna-kyrka`
+ * @returns The Frontend URL to fetch the JSON payload
+ *		e.g. `https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/19/the-big-church-move-sweden-kiruna-kyrka.json`
+ */
+const getFrontendJsonUrl = (path: string) => {
+	const secondSlashIndex = path.indexOf('/', 1);
+	const contentUrl = path.substring(secondSlashIndex + 1);
+	return `${contentUrl}.json`;
+};
+
+/**
+ * @param path The path for a DCR endpoint path
+ *		e.g. `/Article/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/19/the-big-church-move-sweden-kiruna-kyrka`
+ * @param cookies Cookies to send with the request
+ *		e.g. `GU_EDITION=US`
+ * @param queryParams Query parameters to append to the request
+ *		e.g. `live=true` for live blogs
+ * @returns The JSON response from the Frontend URL
+ */
+const getFrontendJson = async (
+	path: string,
+	cookies: Cookie[],
+	queryParams: LoadPageParams['queryParams'],
+): Promise<unknown> => {
+	try {
+		const paramsString = `${new URLSearchParams({
+			dcr: 'true',
+			...queryParams,
+		}).toString()}`;
+		const frontendUrl = `${getFrontendJsonUrl(path)}?${paramsString}`;
+		const cookie = cookies.map((c) => `${c.name}=${c.value}`).join('; ');
+		const response = await fetch(frontendUrl, { headers: { cookie } });
+		if (!response.ok) {
+			throw new Error(
+				`Failed to fetch from ${path}: ${response.statusText}`,
+			);
+		}
+		return response.json();
+	} catch (error) {
+		throw new Error(
+			`Error fetching from ${path}: ${
+				error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)
+			}`,
+		);
+	}
+};
+
+/**
+ * Validates the JSON response from the Frontend URL based on the path.
+
+ * Add more validation logic here if additional content types are required.
+ *
+ * @param path The path for a DCR endpoint, used to determine the content type.
+ *		e.g. `/Article/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/19/the-big-church-move-sweden-kiruna-kyrka`
+ * @param json The JSON response from the Frontend URL
+ * @returns The validated `FEArticle` or `FEFront` object
+ */
+const validateJson = (path: string, json: unknown): FEArticle | FEFront => {
+	if (path.startsWith('/Article')) {
+		return validateAsFEArticle(json);
+	} else if (path.startsWith('/Front')) {
+		return validateAsFEFront(json);
+	}
+	throw new Error(`Unsupported URL for validating payload for: ${path}`);
+};
+
+/**
+ * Constructs a DCR URL for a given path and query parameters.
+ * @param params The parameters for constructing the DCR URL
+ * @param params.path The path for a DCR endpoint
+ * @param params.queryParamsOn Whether to append query parameters to the URL
+ * @param params.queryParams Query parameters to append to the request
+ * @returns The DCR URL
+ * e.g. `http://localhost:9000/Article/https://theguardian.com/sport/live/2022/mar/27/west-indies-v-england-third-test-day-four-live?adtest=fixed-puppies-ci&live=true&force-liveblog-epic=true`
+ */
+const getDcrUrl = ({
+	path,
+	queryParamsOn,
+	queryParams,
+}: Pick<LoadPageParams, 'path' | 'queryParamsOn' | 'queryParams'>): string => {
+	const paramsString = queryParamsOn
+		? `?${new URLSearchParams({
+				adtest: 'fixed-puppies-ci',
+				...queryParams,
+		  }).toString()}`
+		: '';
+	return `${ORIGIN}${path}${paramsString}`;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Constructs a DCR POST URL for a given path.
+ * @param path The path for a DCR endpoint
+ *		e.g. `/Article/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/19/the-big-church-move-sweden-kiruna-kyrka`
+ * @returns The DCR POST URL to send the request to
+ *		e.g. `http://localhost:9000/Article`
+ *		This is used to override the request method to POST in Playwright tests.
+ */
+const getDcrPostUrl = (path: string) => `${ORIGIN}/${path.split('/')[1]}`;
 
 /**
  * Loads a page in Playwright and centralises setup
@@ -17,16 +139,8 @@ const loadPage = async ({
 	waitUntil = 'domcontentloaded',
 	region = 'GB',
 	preventSupportBanner = true,
-}: {
-	page: Page;
-	path: string;
-	queryParams?: Record<string, string>;
-	queryParamsOn?: boolean;
-	fragment?: `#${string}`;
-	waitUntil?: 'domcontentloaded' | 'load';
-	region?: 'GB' | 'US' | 'AU' | 'INT';
-	preventSupportBanner?: boolean;
-}): Promise<void> => {
+	overrides = {},
+}: LoadPageParams): Promise<void> => {
 	await page.addInitScript(
 		(args) => {
 			// Set the geo region, defaults to GB
@@ -47,82 +161,54 @@ const loadPage = async ({
 			preventSupportBanner,
 		},
 	);
-	// Add an adtest query param to ensure we get a fixed test ad
-	const paramsString = queryParamsOn
-		? `?${new URLSearchParams({
-				adtest: 'fixed-puppies-ci',
-				...queryParams,
-		  }).toString()}`
-		: '';
 
-	// The default Playwright waitUntil: 'load' ensures all requests have completed
-	// Use 'domcontentloaded' to speed up tests and prevent hanging requests from timing out tests
-	await page.goto(`${BASE_URL}${path}${paramsString}${fragment ?? ''}`, {
-		waitUntil,
-	});
-};
+	const cookies = await page.context().cookies();
 
-/**
- * Create a POST request to the /Article endpoint so we can override config
- * and switches in the json sent to DCR
- */
-const loadPageWithOverrides = async (
-	page: Page,
-	article: FEArticle,
-	overrides?: {
-		configOverrides?: Record<string, unknown>;
-		switchOverrides?: Record<string, unknown>;
-	},
-): Promise<void> => {
-	const path = `/Article`;
-	await page.route(`${BASE_URL}${path}`, async (route) => {
-		const postData = {
-			...article,
-			config: {
-				...article.config,
-				...overrides?.configOverrides,
-				switches: {
-					...article.config.switches,
-					...overrides?.switchOverrides,
-				},
+	// If overrides exist, but no fixture is provided we fetch it from Frontend
+	const frontendModel = await (overrides.feFixture
+		? Promise.resolve(overrides.feFixture)
+		: validateJson(
+				path,
+				await getFrontendJson(path, cookies, queryParams),
+		  ));
+
+	// Apply the config and switch overrides
+	const postData = {
+		...frontendModel,
+		config: {
+			...frontendModel.config,
+			...overrides.configOverrides,
+			switches: {
+				...frontendModel.config.switches,
+				...overrides.switchOverrides,
 			},
-		};
+		},
+	};
+
+	const dcrUrl = getDcrUrl({
+		path,
+		queryParamsOn,
+		queryParams,
+	});
+
+	// Override any request matching dcrUrl to use a POST method
+	// with the overridden payload
+	await page.route(dcrUrl, async (route) => {
 		await route.continue({
 			method: 'POST',
 			headers: {
+				...route.request().headers(),
 				'Content-Type': 'application/json',
 			},
 			postData,
+			url: getDcrPostUrl(path),
 		});
 	});
-	await loadPage({ page, path, queryParamsOn: false });
-};
 
-/**
- * Fetch the page json from PROD then load it as a POST with overrides
- */
-const fetchAndloadPageWithOverrides = async (
-	page: Page,
-	url: string,
-	overrides?: {
-		configOverrides?: Record<string, unknown>;
-		switchOverrides?: Record<string, unknown>;
-	},
-): Promise<void> => {
-	const article = validateAsFEArticle(
-		await fetch(`${url}.json?dcr`).then((res) => res.json()),
-	);
-	await loadPageWithOverrides(page, article, {
-		configOverrides: overrides?.configOverrides,
-		switchOverrides: {
-			...overrides?.switchOverrides,
-		},
-	});
+	// Initiate the page load
+	// Add the fragment here as Playwright has an issue when matching urls
+	// with fragments in the page.route handler
+	await page.goto(`${dcrUrl}${fragment ?? ''}`, { waitUntil });
 };
 
-export {
-	BASE_URL,
-	fetchAndloadPageWithOverrides,
-	loadPage,
-	loadPageWithOverrides,
-};
+export { loadPage };
diff --git a/dotcom-rendering/playwright/tests/atom.video.e2e.spec.ts b/dotcom-rendering/playwright/tests/atom.video.e2e.spec.ts
index bd32e128d5d..80cb6ed9a2a 100644
--- a/dotcom-rendering/playwright/tests/atom.video.e2e.spec.ts
+++ b/dotcom-rendering/playwright/tests/atom.video.e2e.spec.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import type { Page } from '@playwright/test';
 import { expect, test } from '@playwright/test';
 import { allowRejectAll, cmpAcceptAll, cmpRejectAll } from '../lib/cmp';
 import { waitForIsland } from '../lib/islands';
-import { fetchAndloadPageWithOverrides } from '../lib/load-page';
+import { loadPage } from '../lib/load-page';
 import { expectToBeVisible, expectToNotExist } from '../lib/locators';
 
 type YouTubeEmbedConfig = {
@@ -122,11 +122,11 @@ const muteYouTube = async (page: Page, iframeSelector: string) => {
 test.describe.skip('YouTube Atom', () => {
 	// Skipping because the video in this article has stopped working. Investigation needed!
 	test.skip('plays main media video: skipped', async ({ page }) => {
-		await fetchAndloadPageWithOverrides(
+		await loadPage({
 			page,
-			'https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/dec/04/edinburgh-hit-by-thundersnow-as-sonic-boom-wakes-residents',
-			{ switchOverrides: { youtubeIma: false } },
-		);
+			path: '/Article/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/dec/04/edinburgh-hit-by-thundersnow-as-sonic-boom-wakes-residents',
+			overrides: { switchOverrides: { youtubeIma: false } },
+		});
 		await cmpAcceptAll(page);
 
 		await waitForIsland(page, 'YoutubeBlockComponent');
@@ -173,11 +173,12 @@ test.describe.skip('YouTube Atom', () => {
 	});
 
 	test.skip('plays main media video', async ({ page }) => {
-		await fetchAndloadPageWithOverrides(
+		await loadPage({
 			page,
-			'https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/30/trump-trial-hush-money-verdict',
-			{ switchOverrides: { youtubeIma: false } },
-		);
+			path: '/Article/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/30/trump-trial-hush-money-verdict',
+			overrides: { switchOverrides: { youtubeIma: false } },
+		});
+
 		await cmpAcceptAll(page);
 
 		await waitForIsland(page, 'YoutubeBlockComponent');
@@ -224,11 +225,11 @@ test.describe.skip('YouTube Atom', () => {
 	});
 
 	test.skip('plays in body video', async ({ page }) => {
-		await fetchAndloadPageWithOverrides(
+		await loadPage({
 			page,
-			'https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/05/volcanoes-are-life-how-the-ocean-is-enriched-by-eruptions-devastating-on-land',
-			{ switchOverrides: { youtubeIma: false } },
-		);
+			path: '/Article/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/05/volcanoes-are-life-how-the-ocean-is-enriched-by-eruptions-devastating-on-land',
+			overrides: { switchOverrides: { youtubeIma: false } },
+		});
 		await cmpAcceptAll(page);
 
 		await waitForIsland(page, 'YoutubeBlockComponent');
@@ -277,11 +278,11 @@ test.describe.skip('YouTube Atom', () => {
 	test('each video plays when the same video exists both in body and in main media of a blog', async ({
 		page,
 	}) => {
-		await fetchAndloadPageWithOverrides(
+		await loadPage({
 			page,
-			'https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/mar/28/russia-ukraine-war-latest-news-zelenskiy-putin-live-updates',
-			{ switchOverrides: { youtubeIma: false } },
-		);
+			path: '/Article/https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/mar/28/russia-ukraine-war-latest-news-zelenskiy-putin-live-updates',
+			overrides: { switchOverrides: { youtubeIma: false } },
+		});
 		await cmpAcceptAll(page);
 
 		// Wait for hydration of all videos
@@ -387,11 +388,11 @@ test.describe.skip('YouTube Atom', () => {
 	}) => {
 		await allowRejectAll(context);
 
-		await fetchAndloadPageWithOverrides(
+		await loadPage({
 			page,
-			'https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/05/volcanoes-are-life-how-the-ocean-is-enriched-by-eruptions-devastating-on-land',
-			{ switchOverrides: { youtubeIma: false } },
-		);
+			path: '/Article/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/05/volcanoes-are-life-how-the-ocean-is-enriched-by-eruptions-devastating-on-land',
+			overrides: { switchOverrides: { youtubeIma: false } },
+		});
 
 		await cmpRejectAll(page);
 
@@ -441,11 +442,11 @@ test.describe.skip('YouTube Atom', () => {
 	test('video is sticky when the user plays a video then scrolls the video out of the viewport', async ({
 		page,
 	}) => {
-		await fetchAndloadPageWithOverrides(
+		await loadPage({
 			page,
-			'https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/mar/28/russia-ukraine-war-latest-news-zelenskiy-putin-live-updates',
-			{ switchOverrides: { youtubeIma: false } },
-		);
+			path: '/Article/https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/mar/28/russia-ukraine-war-latest-news-zelenskiy-putin-live-updates',
+			overrides: { switchOverrides: { youtubeIma: false } },
+		});
 		await cmpAcceptAll(page);
 
 		// Wait for hydration of all videos
diff --git a/dotcom-rendering/playwright/tests/lightbox.e2e.spec.ts b/dotcom-rendering/playwright/tests/lightbox.e2e.spec.ts
index a5fcdc01923..5b902439b82 100644
--- a/dotcom-rendering/playwright/tests/lightbox.e2e.spec.ts
+++ b/dotcom-rendering/playwright/tests/lightbox.e2e.spec.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { expect, test } from '@playwright/test';
 import { Live as LiveBlog } from '../../fixtures/generated/fe-articles/Live';
 import { PhotoEssay as photoEssayArticle } from '../../fixtures/generated/fe-articles/PhotoEssay';
 import { disableCMP } from '../lib/cmp';
-import { loadPageWithOverrides } from '../lib/load-page';
+import { loadPage } from '../lib/load-page';
 import { expectToBeVisible, expectToNotBeVisible } from '../lib/locators';
 
 // LIGHTBOX RL notes
@@ -74,7 +74,11 @@ test.describe('Lightbox', () => {
 		page,
 	}) => {
 		await disableCMP(context);
-		await loadPageWithOverrides(page, photoEssayArticle);
+		await loadPage({
+			page,
+			path: '/Article',
+			overrides: { feFixture: photoEssayArticle },
+		});
 
 		await expectToNotBeVisible(page, '#gu-lightbox');
 
@@ -95,7 +99,11 @@ test.describe('Lightbox', () => {
 		page,
 	}) => {
 		await disableCMP(context);
-		await loadPageWithOverrides(page, photoEssayArticle);
+		await loadPage({
+			page,
+			path: '/Article',
+			overrides: { feFixture: photoEssayArticle },
+		});
 
 		await expectToNotBeVisible(page, '#gu-lightbox');
 
@@ -113,7 +121,11 @@ test.describe('Lightbox', () => {
 
 	test('should trap focus', async ({ context, page }) => {
 		await disableCMP(context);
-		await loadPageWithOverrides(page, photoEssayArticle);
+		await loadPage({
+			page,
+			path: '/Article',
+			overrides: { feFixture: photoEssayArticle },
+		});
 
 		await page.locator('article img').first().click({ force: true });
 		await expectToBeVisible(page, '#gu-lightbox');
@@ -158,7 +170,11 @@ test.describe('Lightbox', () => {
 		page,
 	}) => {
 		await disableCMP(context);
-		await loadPageWithOverrides(page, photoEssayArticle);
+		await loadPage({
+			page,
+			path: '/Article',
+			overrides: { feFixture: photoEssayArticle },
+		});
 
 		await expectToNotBeVisible(page, '#gu-lightbox');
 
@@ -246,7 +262,11 @@ test.describe('Lightbox', () => {
 		}
 
 		await disableCMP(context);
-		await loadPageWithOverrides(page, photoEssayArticle);
+		await loadPage({
+			page,
+			path: '/Article',
+			overrides: { feFixture: photoEssayArticle },
+		});
 
 		// eq(6) here means the 7th button is clicked (base zero)
 		await page.locator('button.open-lightbox').nth(6).click();
@@ -285,7 +305,11 @@ test.describe('Lightbox', () => {
 		page,
 	}) => {
 		await disableCMP(context);
-		await loadPageWithOverrides(page, photoEssayArticle);
+		await loadPage({
+			page,
+			path: '/Article',
+			overrides: { feFixture: photoEssayArticle },
+		});
 
 		await page.locator('button.open-lightbox').nth(1).click();
 		await expectToBeVisible(page, '#gu-lightbox');
@@ -332,7 +356,11 @@ test.describe('Lightbox', () => {
 		page,
 	}) => {
 		await disableCMP(context);
-		await loadPageWithOverrides(page, photoEssayArticle);
+		await loadPage({
+			page,
+			path: '/Article',
+			overrides: { feFixture: photoEssayArticle },
+		});
 
 		await page.locator('button.open-lightbox').nth(1).click();
 		await expectToBeVisible(page, '#gu-lightbox');
@@ -374,7 +402,11 @@ test.describe('Lightbox', () => {
 		page,
 	}) => {
 		await disableCMP(context);
-		await loadPageWithOverrides(page, LiveBlog);
+		await loadPage({
+			page,
+			path: '/Article',
+			overrides: { feFixture: LiveBlog },
+		});
 
 		await page.locator('button.open-lightbox').nth(1).click();
 		await expectToBeVisible(page, '#gu-lightbox');
@@ -401,7 +433,11 @@ test.describe('Lightbox', () => {
 		page,
 	}) => {
 		await disableCMP(context);
-		await loadPageWithOverrides(page, photoEssayArticle);
+		await loadPage({
+			page,
+			path: '/Article',
+			overrides: { feFixture: photoEssayArticle },
+		});
 
 		await page.locator('button.open-lightbox').nth(1).click();
 		await expectToBeVisible(page, '#gu-lightbox');
@@ -431,7 +467,11 @@ test.describe('Lightbox', () => {
 		page,
 	}) => {
 		await disableCMP(context);
-		await loadPageWithOverrides(page, photoEssayArticle);
+		await loadPage({
+			page,
+			path: '/Article',
+			overrides: { feFixture: photoEssayArticle },
+		});
 
 		await expectToNotBeVisible(page, '#gu-lightbox');
 		// Open lightbox using the second button on the page (the first is main media)
diff --git a/dotcom-rendering/playwright/tests/signedin.e2e.spec.ts b/dotcom-rendering/playwright/tests/signed-out.e2e.spec.ts
similarity index 78%
rename from dotcom-rendering/playwright/tests/signedin.e2e.spec.ts
rename to dotcom-rendering/playwright/tests/signed-out.e2e.spec.ts
index 11fb1b014ac..30b0b3748f6 100644
--- a/dotcom-rendering/playwright/tests/signedin.e2e.spec.ts
+++ b/dotcom-rendering/playwright/tests/signed-out.e2e.spec.ts
@@ -2,15 +2,19 @@ import { expect, test } from '@playwright/test';
 import { Standard as standardArticle } from '../../fixtures/generated/fe-articles/Standard';
 import { disableCMP } from '../lib/cmp';
 import { waitForIsland } from '../lib/islands';
-import { loadPageWithOverrides } from '../lib/load-page';
+import { loadPage } from '../lib/load-page';
 
-test.describe('Signed in readers', () => {
+test.describe('Signed out readers', () => {
 	test('should not display signed in texts when users are not signed in', async ({
 		context,
 		page,
 	}) => {
 		await disableCMP(context);
-		await loadPageWithOverrides(page, standardArticle);
+		await loadPage({
+			page,
+			path: '/Article',
+			overrides: { feFixture: standardArticle },
+		});
 
 		await waitForIsland(page, 'DiscussionWeb');