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Villains: A Dizney in Drag Parody follows the young protagonist, Vil, on her quest to become a true Disney villain, ‘the kind you see in the movies’. Along the way, she meets a parade of iconic Disney villains, each offering their own tantalisingly wicked lesson on how to truly become one.
Vil is joined by the fabulously sassy Hairy Godmother… rightfully summed up as ‘Glinda at the end of a three day bender’. They embark on a ghosts of Disney past-type journey armed with her trusty ‘Villainy for Dummies’ guide.
The audience is fired up from the get go. This is thanks to the impressive opening act, a knowing nod to Belle’s opening number in Beauty and the Beast. If you love Disney, the nostalgia and cheeky twists on iconic scenes and characters hit straight away.
Vil is joined on her journey by the villains you know and loathe. There’s Maleficent, Ursula, Captain Hook and Cruella, but it all builds to the reveal of the ‘real’ villains. I’ll leave that surprise for the stage.
There’s lots of audience participation. Some were invited and some were just really wanted to play along, which just adds to the mischief of the show. As Vil takes lessons from the audience on what type of evil villain she should be and perfecting her evil laugh, her Hairy Godmother keeps the show flowing with camp and sassy interlogues throughout.
The script veers off course a few times, adding to the improv-style chaos on stage, though it can feel a little amateurish at times. The cast clearly has a blast together, and the audience is right there with them, cheering them on and becoming a third character in the fun.
There were standout vocals from the performers and catchy songs, although there were some mic issues with it dropping out and being static-y in parts, which was a shame.
This is a captivating show with tantalising performances, laugh-out-loud moments, and unexpected twists throughout that keep you on the edge of your seat, eager to see what comes next.