DIZNEY IN DRAG: ONCE UPON A PARODY - REVIEW

Performing in the Brighton Spiegeltent as part of the Brighton Fringe 2023, The Hairy Godmothers Inc present Dizney In Drag: Once Upon A Parody.

Hailing from Perth, The Hairy Godmothers Inc is a diverse group of drag performers aiming to help you relive some of your childhood nostalgia, with parodied versions of some of the most well known Disney classics. Jae West (The Hero) and Owen Merriman (The Hairy Godmother) guide the audience through a magical adventure as they search for the Hero’s true love – the wearer of a glitter stiletto – meeting a host of hilarious and kinky characters along the way.

Whilst the show features lots of familiar faces, do not be fooled into thinking that this is a children’s show. Featuring a literal treasure trove of sex toys, a whole number dedicated to the pleasures of pegging, and some naughty language, this is a show for old-school Disney and drag fans alike.

I think the factor that I found so engaging was seeing a group of people with different gender identities all creating a drag show together. There was an amazing commentary on masculinity and female anatomy within the show which I haven’t often seen explored within theatre in general, let alone within a drag comedy show.

The troup tread the line of combining meaningful messages with ridiculous jokes remarkably well, leading to many excitable applauses from the audience who were both giggling and nodding in agreement at the honest social commentaries.

One element of the show that was very endearing to me was the use of audience participation. There was something so lovely about seeing a Brighton audience engage with the silliness and play along with the troup’s story (although – only with explicit consent of all participants, which was an enormous green flag for me!).

Whilst I did find myself near tears from laughter for a large portion of the show, it’s worth noting that certain jokes and phrases used throughout the piece make a lot more sense if you’re familiar with Australian slang and pop culture. There were certainly jokes and moments that I felt went over my head a little bit, but the fantastic engagement of the cast meant that they were always quick to rally the audience back on their side.

More than anything, this show is a beautiful meeting of cartoon cliches with a bit of sex and Aussie comedy – it makes for a “majestic as fuck” night out!

{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}

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