“When you wish upon a star, this is the kind of Disney cabaret you could only dream of. Practically perfect in every way.”
Hold on to your hats and glasses, because best friends Ayesha Patel and Jordan Li-Smith have very different ideas on what constitutes a perfect Disney theme park day. Which is just as well, as it provides the ideal conflict arc to this pixie dusted Disney cabaret in London’s Other Palace studio theatre. For those not familiar with the term, “rope drop” refers to arriving at a Disney park before it opens, to be there when they drop the rope at the entrance threshold and therefore be one of the first inside, beating the queues. It’s a common insider term, and one of many in this production.
It was half expected we’d be asked to tap our Magic Band at the door. Thus we are transported to a world of princesses, dole whip, Pirates of the Caribbean ride water and the surly resistance of every Disneyland Paris cast member legally obliged to wish you a magical day. Ayesha leads the vocals, with Jordan on the keyboard, co-vocals and an excellent creative foible. Co-written by the pair, the show bounces from each land in the park chronologically (“as Walt intended”) and provides us with genuine entertainment backed by fantastic comic timing, heartfelt asides and dazzling performances. Taking key songs from the parks themselves, including a beautiful ballad rendition of irritating earworm It’s A Small World, and a spectacularly wry pun on Cabaret’s “Wilkommen” to fit Disneyland Paris’ Hotel Santa Fe.
A Michael Eisner fever dream of nostalgia Vs capitalism, we are treated to guest spots by Henry Calvert as our Jungle Cruise skipper, and Esme Bowdler as Maleficent in the nighttime show Fantasmic! -imaginatively shortened from 25 minutes into 5. Humour is balanced by pathos; technical glitches are balanced by a myriad of props and puppetry; corny jokes are balanced by a fabulous backing band- including a double bass.
There are a few niggles, namely the Little Mermaid segment and Heads Up games felt superfluous to the narrative, and you really would need to be more than a passing casual Disney fan to truly appreciate the heavily niche references and in jokes. However the venn diagram of die hard Disney park fans and musical theatre fans is essentially a circle so there is definitely a strong audience to be found for this piece. It does not need to water down its authenticity to widen its appeal unless it wants to: its subjectivity is its strength.
This show works for three main reasons. Firstly, it is clear that the playful taunts and mocking of the Disney characters and company come from a place of genuine love for the subject matter, even if they are still navigating their opinions on them. Secondly, both Ayesha and Jordan have incredible musical talent and pull off immaculately arranged classics with ease and well-honed skills. Lastly, and most importantly, they are supremely likeable as people and their personalities present as compelling as their friendship is genuine. A true comedian should be able to make you cry both through sorrow and laughter. This show manages that in abundance and Josh D’Amaro can only dream of entertainment like this at the parks. Bring back streetmosphere! Fix the Yeti! Re-open Jellyrolls at the Boardwalk with this show. There really is a great big beautiful tomorrow for Rope Drop: The Unofficial Disney Parks Comedy.
Rope Drop played at The Other Palace Studio, London from 5th-6th September 2026