We sat down for a quick chat with Jordan Li-Smith and Ayesha Patel about their upcoming project.
Where did the idea for Rope Drop first begin, and when did you realise your shared love of Disney Parks could become a full comedy show?
Ayesha: The story begins in 2023. We’d just become friends through working in theatre, and quickly realised we were both complete Disney Parks fanatics.
Jordan: Because she sent me a very niche Disney Parks meme and I instantly knew we would be friends!
Ayesha: And by the summer of 2024, on an impulse, booked a trip to Disneyland Paris together.
Jordan: A year later, Ayesha asked if I’d help her create a show around the music of the Disney Parks. But as we talked, we realised we weren’t really making a show about Disney. We were making a show about why two grown adults keep coming back to the parks, and what that says about friendship, nostalgia and holding onto your inner child. It’s absolutely inspired by our trip to Disney.
Ayesha: The result is Rope Drop, a joyful autobiographical buddy comedy, following two best friends as they attempt the perfect day at a Disney Park.
Jordan: We spent days sharing childhood memories and all the reasons we keep coming back, time and time again. I took everything we talked about and somehow wrote the first draft in a couple of days.
Ayesha: We’ve been shaping it ever since into what it’s now become.
The show is described as a celebration of the inner child in us all. Why do you think Disney Parks remain so emotionally powerful for adults?
Jordan: Nostalgia is a fascinating thing. It’s like the key to unlocking your younger self. That younger version of you never really disappears, but as you get older, it becomes harder to stay connected to them.
Ayesha: For a lot of people, us included, Disney Parks are one of the quickest ways to unlock that part of ourselves again. It’s somewhere you can have the freedom to be completely unapologetically who you are and embrace what you love. Everyone’s there to have fun, tap into joy and make memories.
Jordan: That’s what Rope Drop is really about.
How did you translate the scale and atmosphere of a Disney Park into The Other Palace?
Ayesha: It’s pretty difficult fitting a Disney Park into a 100-seat studio theatre! We definitely couldn’t recreate the scale, but we’ve tried to capture the feeling of being there.
Jordan: The show is structured like a day in a theme park. We start at rope drop (if you don’t know, that’s when everyone gathers behind an actual rope that is dropped when the park opens), we finish with the fireworks, and make our way through every land of the park in an attempt at having the perfect day. For us, that’s racing to our favourite rides, seeing our favourite characters and, very importantly, catching the parade!
Ayesha: Along the way you’ll meet ridiculous characters, hear some fantastic songs and sometimes witness absolute chaos. But there are plenty of heartfelt moments too, and all those little things that anyone who’s ever spent a day in a theme park will recognise. Hopefully people leave feeling like they’ve spent a day at the parks with us, even if they’ve never actually been to one.
With different special guests appearing at each performance, how have you shaped the show to make space for their individual personalities and talents?
Ayesha: Every performance will have its own personality, which is really exciting. We’ve got six fantastic guest performers, all with their own connection to Disney. Some have performed in Disney stage productions, some have actually performed in the parks, and others are just genuine Disney Parks fans. We’ve built the show so each guest can bring something unique to it.
Jordan: So every performance will be slightly different. Different songs, different stories, different moments. If you came to all three shows, you’d definitely see three different versions of Rope Drop.
Are there any moments in the show that will particularly reward devoted Disney Parks fans, while still making sense to someone who has never visited?
Jordan: Absolutely! If you’re a die-hard Disney Parks fan, there are loads of little references, in-jokes and observations that you’ll absolutely recognise, and hopefully you’ll enjoy seeing us lovingly poke fun at Disney Adults too! But we’ve always been determined that you don’t need to know the first thing about Disney to enjoy the show, and that’s reflected in the writing.
Ayesha: At its heart, Rope Drop is a comedy about friendship, nostalgia and giving yourself permission to love the things that make you happy, even if other people think they’re a bit weird. It just happens to be set in a Disney theme park.
And finally, the question we all want to know, what is your dream Disney Parks day?
Jordan: You’ll have to come and see the show to find out!
Ayesha: Although I can promise one thing… it definitely starts at Rope Drop.