Created by The Hairy Godmothers
Review by Annie Aslett
Assembly George Square Studios: Tickets
Disney is no stranger to a drag reinterpretation. Drag performers in various Disney guises are hardly a new sight. However, no one is doing it funnier or filthier than the Hairy Godmothers’ production of Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody. This Australian troupe have been to the Fringe before and has toured this show across the globe; this experience shows in their polished and slick performance.
That is not to say that Dizney in Drag feels commercial or mass-produced; this cast of skilled comedy entertainers strut the fine line between delivering their well-written and executed production with the scrappy charm and confidence of a perfectly-imperfect show that makes the Edinburgh Fringe Festival so beloved. The odd fumbles don’t feel manufactured; it is a rare modern parody whose slip-ups don’t feel rehearsed. The quick-witted cast has the spirit of the best old-school pantomime performers, firmly in control of their show but able to break the fourth wall with the audience in a way that feels inclusive rather than put on.
Chief among them and creator of the Hairy Godmothers is Owen Merriman as the Hairy Godmother, guiding Jae West’s hero of the tale from princess to princess as they search for their true love. Merriman is drag perfection in his pink ballgown and beard. His confidence is boundless, dazzling, but down-to-earth; the way he rummages around under his skirts for various props is never not funny. The ensemble cast playing multiple Disney icons are all fully committed and winning in their roles, gifted with hilarious and poignant songs penned to familiar tunes. Merriman’s re-imagining of I’ll Make a Man Out of You, examining toxic masculinity, is a highlight, as well as Alex Andra’s Part of Your World, a homage to all things kink. Mason Gilbert steals every scene as Miss White is at home flirting with audience members and nailing impressive riffs.
The Hairy Godmothers are showing this and its sister show, Villainz, alternating nights at the Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre – categorically, you will not find a more entertaining night out anywhere else this Fringe.
Review by Annie Aslett (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Annie is a not-so-recent graduate of the University of Edinburgh with a degree in French and Spanish, along with a Masters in Translation from the University of Glasgow. A Spanish teacher for three years, she decided to leave the classroom behind to pursue personal goals and has since been regularly reviewing for Corr Blimey’s Glaswegian wing. Annie is a life-long lover of musical theatre, whose childhood performances included a rousing production of Snow White in The Hall and a heartfelt rendition of Go, Go, Go Joseph in The Living Room.
