The Hairy Godmothers‘ Villians: A Dizney in Drag Parody is riotous, irreverent and scorchingly on point in its social commentary. It was like a pantomime for adults, and I really lived for it.
The scripting blew me away with its delectable blend of the tongue-in-cheek and the insightful, topped off with a large dollop of playful frivolity. In doing so, this Perth based artist collective has done Perth proud.
The reimaging of the Disney Princes is so clever that it left me wondering if the real production company the show’s name alludes to has been grooming us for generations. No wonder the Frankfurt School Philosopher Adorno thought that Walt Disney was “the most dangerous man in America” in his time. And yet, fans of the originals would not feel out of place or disappointed as they still manage to honour these memorable celluloid characters. This balancing act makes this show a post-modernist triumph.
The Hairy Godmother was played by Owen Merriman in the most refreshing manner, artfully combining a cheeky down-to-earthiness with a larrikin edge larger-than-life presence demanded of a solid drag performance.
Another standout for me was the performer Deja who played multiple characters (as did most of the cast). Her hyperpronunciation as Gash had me in stitches, and wow, can she hit a note. I can honestly say that I was left with a little crush on her by the end of the performance, and I don’t normally swing that way.
However, all the performances were excellent, even the chorus line.
Overall, this was some of the best crowd work I have seen, replete with mad adlibs and well-constructed callbacks throughout the show. Of particular note was the crowd that occurred during the Captain Hook (Mita Hill) segment. This was off-the-hook! Word of warning: if you are scared of crowd participation, don’t sit in the front few rows. If you like it, you will be in heaven, so get there early.
In wrapping up the she show, the Hairy Godmother, after spilling the beer, spilt the tea, letting us in on the fact that this show was, in their view, their weakest show – they and their cast have multiple others on at Fringe! If this is their weakest production, I worry for my innards because I could do some serious damage if I laughed any harder and would probably need to up my health and ambulance insurance cover to be attending.
C.J. O’HARTE
Villains: A Dizney in Drag Parody ran from 17 Jan – 2 Feb 2025 at Perth Town Hall as part of FRINGE WORLD.
