Taking the magic of classic Disney films and turning it all on its head was Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody. The performers created a world of freedom for everyone, whatever race, gender, or kind of individual you are. The humour was clearly for adults from the word go, as The Hairy Godmothers guided a young prince(ess) through a whole new world of dating, love and relationships in order to find the one true love. This included adult toys, domination, drugs, the Dizney version of Tinder called 'Cinder', gender fluidity, and more. The atmosphere of fun – combined with lots of sassy attitudes – gave these well known characters a completely different side.
Magical, humorous, and educational
It needs to be noted that the reliance on audience interaction means that the experience of each performance will vary. On this occasion, one audience member unintentionally messed up a joke due to placing a well known Australian beer into a glass instead of keeping it in the original can. The Hairy Godmother, despite being slightly thrown by this, incorporated it into the act and seemingly went into the next joke as if it was all simply part of the script. A visual pun, used regularly by all of the cast, required various objects coming out from under long circular skirts. Although it worked well, on the odd occasion it seemed a little too long to create the necessary suspense between objects. A slight tightning of this great sketch would have made it sharper and helped the story flow more smoothly on those occasions.
Despite that, what we saw was a strong cast that made us laugh uncontrollably, cry as we engaged with our main protagonist's emotional journey, and learn (in a creative, safe way) about the many ways we can allow ourselves to be free with no restrictions. All whilst reliving the 'old school' Disney classics before Frozen came on the scene. All the songs retained their familiarity, but were completely revamped and sent up with a lot of love and respect from everyone involved.
Some of the highlights included The Little Mermaid's Ariel using her siren-esque innocence to enhance her knowledge to become a dominatrix and learn about people through her own sexual power. We also saw Snow White become Ms White...By using certain substances, she was able to release her inner Evil Queen realness and empower herself to have complete self belief, whilst also wanting the crown. On the other side of the coin, not only was her death scene an iconic comedic star turn, she used it as a way to highlight the key element of a relationship...mutual consent! All of these elements together made her character extremely well rounded and fierce; unlike the original, she was no victim to anyone and was able to be her authentic self. Peter Pan likewise stood out due to him chanelling the spirit of David Bowie as we explored gender freedom in his grown up form. If Bowie was alive today, he would be best friends with this version of Pan for sure.
Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody was magical, humorous and educational - definitely worth the experience.
