Created by The Hair Godmothers
Review by Annie Aslett
Assembly George SquareL Tickets
Villains: A Dizney in Drag parody is the sister show of the Hairy Godmother’s original Dizney in Drag production, and the two shows have been playing on alternating nights throughout this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Villains centres around ‘Vil’, played by Emma Macmillan, a budding young villain who is struggling to find their evil identity. Owen Merriman reprises his role as the Hairy Godmother, and the two set off to learn from the best.
Villains does suffer slightly in comparison to the original; the story is less cohesive, and the central performance feels infantile against the sultry, burlesque-style villains. Seductive performances abound as we meet Maleficent (Jae West), Ursula (Zac Hanlon) and Cruella de Vil (Ezra Mishka). The performances themselves are show-stopping, with fabulous vocals and excellent comic timing, though the lyrics aren’t as subversive or political as those from Dizney in Drag. A highlight is the number from the Disney princes, well-placed in this show as they sing about being gaslighters and fuckboys.
Despite being a bit rough around the edges, the show is still a great night out. The audience gets involved in giving Vil a good evil name, sparking some hilarious off-the-cuff audience interaction from Merriman and Macmillan. It’s difficult to say what Captain Hook (Mita Hill) was singing about, as the audience was in stitches watching other audience members being dragged on stage as belly-dancing back-up. The atmosphere is always electric at a Hairy Godmother’s show, the crowd having the time of their lives as they take in the spectacle. A firm Fringe favourite, we hope that this troupe will be back for years to come – we’ll certainly be buying a ticket.
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.
