Prepare to have your Disney fantasies shattered like an ill-fitting glass slipper.
Inclusivity can be daring and fun, even sexy
Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody is a fast-paced comedy romp, an adult fairytale with some clever writing and more Disney puns than you care to count. The central character in this twisted story hour is a gender neutral Cinderella or Cindafella, who is looking for that special someone to fill their glass slipper. Together with the Hairy Godmother, they embark on a journey to find true love, whether it is a prince, princess, fairy or marine creature.
This is not your typical over-produced, high fashion, flawless drag show, but a laid back, good-humoured performance with a campy amateur flair to it. I mean that in the good sense; the performers look like they’re having a bloody good time on stage. Their joy is contagious and makes the audience ease up, too. Their drag is genderfluid, while it confronts taboo topics around sexuality, it also shows that gender is a playground, not a rigid construction. Inclusivity can be daring and fun, even sexy.
The musical numbers are Disney classics, and the group has done a great job rewriting them into gender-neutral versions or changing the genders altogether, poking fun at the dusty old identities of the Disney franchise. The cast are proficient singers who can belt out the Disney songs with confidence.
Aladdin, The Lion King, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, Lady and the Tramp... nothing is sacred or safe. The Little Mermaid is into collecting sex toys and shooting tentacle porn, Snow White, with a slight cocaine habit, gives an audience member a rather vocal lap dance, Pocahontas gets creative about her menstrual cycle, and so on – you get the picture. One couple from the audience get to re-enact the famous spaghetti scene from The Lady and the Tramp. The show-stopper is about pegging, but that one you’ll have to see for yourself.
The star of the show is the Hairy Godmother, played by Owen Merriman, who is also the driving force behind their Perth based production company, The Hairy Godmothers. Owen’s huge stage persona keeps the show together, as he effortlessly combines male and female clichés into his character. Dressed in a dreamy pink princess dress and a wig Marge Simpson would be envious of, he keeps pulling beer cans from under the hem of his dress or smoking some ‘magic’ cigarettes.
Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody confronts one-dimensional sexist stereotypes from our childhood, giving them a queer makeover. Amidst all the mayhem and raunchy one-liners, the show also shares some valid life lessons, like being vulnerable is ballsy and sexuality is a buffet. But the most important lesson is to love yourself, whatever tickles your fancy.
