A gender-bending pantomime romp through beloved fairytales told with drag performers giving (and receiving) positive lessons on respect, healthy masculinity, periods, and sex positivity. Australian cabaret troupe The Hairy Godmothers will give London audiences a healthy dose of nostalgia and a side-serving of the feel-goods before heading up to Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
What inspired you to create Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody?
I’ve been lucky enough to work in the arts industry all my life, so when I got a message from my friend (and now co-producer) saying ‘Hey… do you want to write a Fringe show?’ the answer was always going to be yes! We knew we wanted to write a comedy and threw around a few ideas, but ultimately we were inspired by the fairytales we grew up on and wanted to explore the idea of a more modern tale that reflected the current zeitgeist. At the end of the day though, we just wanted to create something that made people laugh!
What is your favourite fairytale character featured in the show and why?
It’s always been the Little Mermaid for me! I just love how many different stories she has, from her tragic tale in the original Hans Christian Andersen story, to the enchanting Disney version of ‘Ariel’. In our story she also has a happy ending, although we definitely have a very different twist to any of her previous storylines! I’m lucky enough to play her in the show, I absolutely adore flapping my tail around on stage.
What twists can the audience look forward to?
Well, I won’t give any spoilers… but this show has some moments you won’t see coming. We turn a lot of classic fairytale tropes on their heads, from kissing the princess to wake her up, to finding your ‘one true love’ with the help of a fairy and glass footwear. We also have fun playing with the expectations audiences may have of Drag – you can expect to see a range of different styles, from Kings and Queens to everything in-between. There also isn’t any lip syncing here that you’d find in a typical Drag show, everything is live!
What was the most challenging part of creating this show?
Something we found very difficult was keeping the show down to just an hour! We have so much fun as a group writing new material and jokes, it’s just so hard to fit it all in to just 60 minutes while still having room to improvise on stage. Our audiences are always a hoot, so we have a great time playing with them and shaking the show up every night!
What are your hopes for the show’s impact on audiences and how do you envision it resonating with people?
We want people to leave our show smiling. One of the best things is chatting to or receiving messages from people after the show. People have opened up about going through tough times and that they really just need a smile and to get some joy back in their life, and that’s an amazing feeling knowing that we were able to help them find that. At the end of the day you never know what someone else is going through, so kindness and laughter is always important. We’re also all about promoting self-love and compassion for others, and we find that this has really resonated with people. Knowing that our silly show has made someone happy, felt seen, or feel included- well that’s really why we do this.
If you could magically transform into any fairytale character for a day, who would you choose and why?
It would have to be one of the cheeky animal sidekicks. They’re always up for the adventure and getting into mischief…
Can you describe a particularly memorable moment during the rehearsal process?
We have some pretty entertaining props in the show. I remember when a particular prop arrived and we first put them on- it was pure CHAOS. We were all just jumping and swinging them around, it was hilarious. By the last scene of the show you’ll know EXACTLY what prop I’m talking about. We have even started selling them as merch in case you want to try it out for yourself!
If you could have any celebrity guest star in Dizney in Drag, who would it be and what role would they play?
I could totally see Guy Pearce reprising his role as a classic Aussie Drag queen. Man, he was a total babe as Felicia in ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’. Or perhaps someone like Phoebe Waller-Bridge, now she’d make an amazing Drag King villain! Maybe we should reach out to them to understudy in case one of us breaks a leg…