Rob Madge has a seven-step plan to throw the perfect Disney parade, and nobody would DARE to rain on it (unless instructed to do so by the stage directions).
Pride starts at home
With a mix of family home videos, catchy original songs, and a sprinkle of glitter, Madge takes us through their coming of age journey as a queer child growing up in the UK while feeling pressured to conform to gender stereotypes.
As a child, they were precocious to the point of possibly bullying all the adults in their life (based on the video footage)! Each recorded clip emphasises Madge’s artistic vision, even at such a young age, and their determination to put on the perfect show — with the willing, and comical, participation of their parents, grandparents, and extended family.
Madge cleverly uses this footage to get the audience on side, laughing at their younger self along with us, before driving home the central message of the show. Their impassioned plea for parents to just accept their children for who they are hits at the emotional crescendo of the performance, the perfect moment to sneak through the cracks in any reluctant audience member’s armour.
It seems as though Madge is so grateful for their supportive family upbringing that they feel a responsibility to spread that message of love and acceptance to all LGBTQ+ youth. You get the feeling that they are really trying to change hearts and minds by employing the most effective tool you can use on the British public — comedy.
But it wasn’t all cheers and giggles. There were quite a few sniffles in the audience as Madge hit those last few high notes, revealed their beautiful, yellow, Belle gown, and proclaimed to the world: “Pride starts at home.”
