Take a magic carpet ride into an enchanted castle of adult fantasies and fairy tale follies. Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody is a Whole New World you didn’t know you needed! Follow some familiar characters and discover sides of them unbelievably yet to be revealed. If you have any reservation, just Let It Go. Be Our Guest and book a seat now!

Edinburgh audiences are alucky bunch, as The Hairy Godmothers themselves take time away from their fairytale magic to chat with Corr Blimey about their returning show, Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody

And even more excitingly, give us a taste of their newest, darker, celebration of all things wicked with Villains: A Dizney in Drag Parody.

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Would you mind giving us a brief insight into what your show is?

We are excited to bring 2 shows to Edinburgh this year! Our flagship show Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody and our brand new show VILLAINS: A Dizney in Drag Parody. Both are musical comedy drag shows with a pantomime flare to it. 

Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody follows the hero’s journey on a search to find their one true love. Our hero is guided by The Hairy Godmother and meets weird and wonderful characters along the way which teach them about love, life and some very naughty adult themes. 

VILLAINS is the dark and devilish version of our well-known fairy tales. It follows a villain’s journey to being the ‘most evil’ character in the land. However, as they meet villainous characters along their journey they start to realise that the world of villains is very misunderstood and that there may be more below the surface than first meets the eye.

Tell us about the creative team and the process involved?

We are a motley crew of Aussies, that originally got together 5 years to write a fun and empowering show that we were all proud of. Little did we know that the show would go on to take us around the world and create opportunities beyond our wildest dreams, it’s honestly been a fairytale for us. 

As a group we’ve written 4 shows together and are very proud of what we’ve co-created. We try to weave a lot of fun throughout the process, taking the work seriously but not ourselves. Being light-hearted along the way allows us to cover big topics like death, sex, discrimination….(and so much more) but in a way that feels approachable and heart-centred. 

We reverse engineer our shows first. We start by thinking about the feelings and emotions that we want the audience to leave with then create a show that’s based around those feelings. We create a skeleton and structure of how the show is going to run then contemplate the themes that we’re passionate about or that we’ve observed in the world around us. Making art that is relevant for the moment feels particularly important because I believe art is how we’re going to make a change in this world, so observing the world around us is a vital step.

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How does it feel coming to the Fringe?

So exciting! We love Edinburgh, it feels like you’re in a fairytale just walking down the streets and the people you get to meet are incredible. Last year was our first year, I think it took us the whole month to just acclimatise as we’d never experienced anything like it! We’re hoping that this year we’ll have a little more knowledge and experience to be able to find our rhythm and sync.

There are over 3,000 shows at the Fringe. So, what sets your show apart?

There are so many incredible shows at Fringe! Aussie comedy is very unique, playful and provocative so if that’s your vibe, I think you’ll love the show. Couple of reasons why you’ll love Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody & VILLAINS: 

• We genuinely believe in the messaging behind the shows. The themes are picked to address modern-day concerns so that it feels approachable and appropriate for the modern-day

• We twist fairytale favourites that you may recognise from your childhood but reinvent them with a modern twist. So if you want a nostalgic feel then our show will resonate 

• This is an interactive show. We won’t pick on you but we’ll definitely create an opportunity for you to get involved if you’re interested. The pantomime culture you have over here allows you to really get involved and have a fun time. 

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Is there anything specific you’re hoping the audience will take away?

Both of the shows have different themes associated with them but at the core of them both is self-expression and self-acceptance. The shows are based around feel-good, nostalgic memories but having the audiences leaving with their cheeks hurting from smiling and laughing. So having a good time is what we want audiences leaving with the most. 

Your ideal audience is in attendance, who’s watching? Or more importantly – who isn’t there…

We tried to predict who would come to our show but in all honesty it resonated with so many different populations that we just surrender to the mystery now. We like to think of ourselves as gateway drag, we are approachable for everyone, especially people that have never seen drag before. We invite individuals of every gender, sexual orientation, age (as long as you’re over 18) and background, as we want the shows to be as inclusive and celebratory of diversity as possible. 

It’s an intense month, so where you’re able, how do you plan to relax, and are there any other shows you intend to see or want to recommend?

Being able to regulate yourself during the chaotic month is definitely important! Thankfully I come from a sports science background, so I have some go-to tools like yoga, running, ice baths and massages that I’ve used for many years. Sleep is always sought after too, being able to have little cat naps is very high up on the list of priorities. 

However, you always need to balance it with the social fun times. We have some other amazing Australians coming over like Garry Starr and Messy Friends. I personally like going to wild card shows though. Finding shows that you haven’t heard about and taking a punt. I remember Reuben Kaye saying in one of his shows, that people should go to performances that are presented by people that don’t look, act or sound like you, that point has resonated with me ever since. We don’t know what we don’t know, so taking a punt on some wild cards may mean so say some very strange shows but you may also walk out with some new perspectives on life and art. Fringe is a time to explore.

In your ideal world, how can we improve the Fringe, of performance, and the industry?

It may sound cliche and repetitive but making the arts more financially sustainable and accessible for artists would be a priority. Especially when you’re from a different country and have to pay for transport, accommodation, and living expenses.It puts a lot of pressure on your art to succeed which doesn’t give a sense of freedom or breathing space. Many artists leave Edinburgh Fringe having lost money. Even if they are a big show that sells tickets, because of the expenses that go along with putting on a show and the marketing and promotion expenses to try and ‘stand out’, there are a lot of costs behind the scenes. If all shows could walk away not in the red and ideally with profit that would be amazing for the individuals and arts as a whole! 

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