The Hairy Godmothers are an Australian cabaret collective who have carved out an outrageous niche in their homeland since their formation in 2019. Covid thwarted their first attempt to make it to these shores, but 2023 sees them arrive with two very different takes on the cabaret formula. We spoke to founding member Jae West about adventure romp Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody, salacious feminist cabaret WET, and their mission to entertain and educate in an environment that’s increasingly hostile to the LGBTQ+ community.
Can you tell us about the shows The Hairy Godmothers are bringing to the Fringe? Both are cabaret, but the approach to both is very different.
You’re spot on about them being very different! Both of them still have the intention to entertain and educate though.
Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody is very fun, playful, light-hearted and frivolous cabaret which follows the story of a hero trying to find their one true love. Guided by a very unlikely mentor, The Hairy Godmother, you meet fairytale favourites (like never seen before) along the way to complete the hero’s quest.
WET on the other hand isn’t a story but a compilation of original songs, hilarious comedy skits, sassy and heartfelt dances, unique poetry and so much more. Although performed, written and produced by women, this show is inclusive of everyone.
Both are very adult themed though so leave your kids at home for these ones!
For Dizney in Drag what was the reason for settling on Disney as a basis for the show?
We wrote the show over four years ago with a cast that all came from a generation that grew up on Disney movies. It’s been fascinating to unpack how those films have shaped us and our ideologies, especially around love and find your one true love. The hero’s journey is the basis of so many stories around the world and we believe that storytelling has an essential role in educating and portraying important messages. Drawing inspiration from something we grew up on, like Disney, felt like the perfect fit to being able to get out messages out there.
On a personal level, I also grew up around drag queens choreographing and dancing for them, so I had a huge appreciation for the art form and was keen as soon as the offer was presented to me.
How did the Hairy Godmothers come together?
The Hairy Godmother, Owen Merriman, originally sent out an email to a bunch of friends asking if they wanted to write a Fringe show together for fun. A group of mostly strangers got together and started brainstorming ideas and concepts and six months later we were on stage performing together at a tiny little movie theatre in Western Australia! We had no idea it’d get to a point where we could be touring around the world but creating shows together with friends has been so rewarding, we have so much fun on stage together, and that’s often the feedback we get from the audience too!
There’s a lot of media speculation that drag is under attack from conservative quarters. To what extent to think this is actually the case, and how worried are you by it?
The drag and LGBTQIA+ community have both had to experience a lot of backlash, judgement, and discrimination for just doing what they love or being who they are throughout history, now we have an opportunity to do something about it and bring it to everyone’s attention. Discrimination can stem from people not knowing enough about the art form and not having exposure to it so bringing more awareness to the topic is too important.
We would encourage everyone to learn about minority groups so that discrimination can be minimised. We have so much to learn from people that dress differently to us, speak differently to us and who are different to us, everyone has wisdom to share.
What are your hopes and expectations for August? What are you most looking forward to (or dreading) about the Fringe?
We always had the dream of performing internationally. We were supposed to come over to Edinburgh in 2020 but because of Covid we couldn’t, so we finally get to live out our fairytale now! Being able to see how people react to our message is always exciting, expect the unexpected in our show. Prepare for a lot of laughter but also be prepared to think, ponder, and reflect on a heart-filled message.
There are so many shows in Edinburgh so we are nervous about getting lost in the sea of amazing shows! We really believe in our show and message so we’ll do everything we can to get the word out there though.
Beside Once Upon a Parody and WET, can we expect to see you performing elsewhere during August?
Yes! We are doing a few spots at other shows during the festival and the cast of both shows also have other acts and talents that they’ll be showcasing. Ranging from drag to burlesque, comedy, improv and more!
One of our cast members also has a show called Snake Oil on at The Laughing Horse at the Home Bar for the second two weeks of Fringe!
Are there any other acts at the Fringe that you would recommend audiences see?
Yeah absolutely, we love recommending our fellow Aussies! Matt Hale is an Australian hypnotist that we’ve been able to share a dressing room with and turns out he’s just before us in the same venue for the whole month! If you want AMAZING hypnotism and a whole heap of fun, definitely check out his show. Ginava’s Messy Friends is a MUST SEE! This was performed in Perth and absolutely blew us away with their dancing, comedy & COSTUMES! Adults Only Magic Show is our final top tip. We’ve been able to tour and see the show of this amazing duo many times and every single time they are captivating. This is magic with a lot of comedy, laughs and audience interaction.
Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody runs from Thu 3 to Sun 27 Aug 2023 (except Mon 7, 14, & 21) at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose – Big Yin at 18:30
WET runs from Tue 15 to Sun 27 Aug 2023 (except Mon 21) at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose – Big Yin at 21:45