Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody
The Hairy Godmothers
Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose
August 2023
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody is an uproarious drag-fantasy cabaret that plucks the classic hero from the safety of fairy-tale-land, and drags him firmly through a modern musical retelling of many of our favourite stories.
It's incredible that in their Edinburgh Fringe debut Western Australian group 'The Hairy Godmothers' are playing the biggest venue in Gilded Balloon's Patter Hoose, and selling it out! On the night I was there, it was packed to the rafters and the atmosphere was electric. (One warning about the room: It's up about four flights of stairs, right at the top of the venue, so please check with Gilded Balloon in advance regards any access concerns.)
We join the hero of our tale (Jae West) as he goes on the search for his one true love. Along the way he meets many favourite 'Dizney' characters from Aerial (Areola), Snow White (Miss White) and Jasmie (Jazzman). But star of the show and central to the action is the sublime Hairy Godmother herself (Owen Merriman). Her Australian accent just makes everything funnier - "I'm your Hairy Godmother, mate" she tells the hero! She has a brilliant catchphrase too, but I don't want to spoil the surprise.
Complete with tin of beer and ciggie in hand, The Hairy Godmother guides the young hero and the audience on an adventure, throwing out many antiquated 'Dizney' ideologies along the way. I particularly loved this aspect of the show. Yes, every young Prince needs to learn about consent! And the Princesses here are definitely not taking any of their sh*t.
Every character's costumes and makeup are stunning, and the queens themselves are gorgeous. But they have a wicked bite behind their beautiful personas; these are not you're stereotypical timid maidens. I won't single out any of the performers as they are all magnificent, but it's great that they each have their own time in the spotlight to slay.
The humour throughout the show is dark and definitely not PG. The tunes are all familiar classics given inventive and hilarious upgrades. The jokes are brilliant and come at pace. You have to pay attention to keep up with the gags! There is of course a little audience participation, but as we learned earlier, consent is key; no one is forced on stage and it's all great fun.
With 'Dizney in Drag: Once upon a parody', The Hairy Godmothers' deliver a wild, 60 minute, nostalgic romp through Dizney-land. It's a scream and you'll definitely want to leave your kids at home for this one.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
NOTE AGE GUIDANCE: 18+ recommended
When and Where?
VENUE: Big Yin, Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, 3 Chambers St, Edinburgh EH1 1HT
DATES: Wednesday 2nd - Sunday 27th August 2023 (not Mondays 7th, 14th or 21st)
TIME: 6:30pm (60mins)
TICKET PRICES: £10 - £16.50
BOX OFFICE: 0131 622 6552 / https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/dizney-in-drag-once-upon-a-parody
📸 Photo credit: Antony Edwards
About The Hairy Godmothers
This motley crew, from Perth, West Australia have surprisingly diverse backgrounds as lawyers, engineers, PhD graduates, theatre managers, science presenters, actors, dancers, yogis, teachers, and poets. They have come together through their passion of weaving positive messages of self-love and sex positivity into a tapestry of nostalgic fairytale magic and definitely-not-PG fun. Dizney in Drag strives to start conversations through entertainment, encouraging people to fully accept themselves and others while having fun.
Dizney in Drag CAST LIST:
The Hero (they/them) - Jae West (she/her)
The Hairy Godmother (she/her) - Owen Merriman (he/him)
Areola (she/her), Teacup (she/her) - Alex Nissen (she/her)
Miss White (she/her), Waitress (he/him) - Caden Miller (he/him)
Pan (he/him), Grandmamma Willow (she/her), Prince #1 (he/him), Grumpy (he/him)- Ashley Nissen (she/her)
Poke-a-hot-ass (she/her), Teapot (she/her), Sleazy (he/him) - Mita Hill (she/her)
Jazzman (she/her), Man #1 (he/him), Madame Featherduster (she/her) - Josh Burton (he/him)
Strap-on (he/him), Monsieur Derrière (he/him), Dopey (he/him) - Emma MacMillan (she/her)
Dizney in Drag review, Once Upon A Parody, The Hairy Godmothers, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023
🎟️ Disclosure: I am an Edinburgh Festival Fringe accredited media reviewer and as such I receive complimentary press tickets in exchange for my honest reviews. My reviews and star ratings are always my honest opinions
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