It is festival season and that means that in the next month there is so many great comedy festivals to look forward to! This month we are looking at some of the great shows that you can see at the Edinburgh Fringe. So take note because we are going to give you all the information you need for just a handful of some of the great shows happening this year!

Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody

Location:   Assembly George Square – Gordon Aikman Theatre (Venue 8)

Dates: Aug 1st, 3rd, 6th, 8th, 10th, 13th, 17th, 20th, 22nd, 24th

Time: 22:35

Price: £16 Concessions £15

Ticket Link: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/dizney-in-drag-once-upon-a-parody

Hello! Tell us about yourself? 

The Hairy Godmothers consist of a motley crew of Australian performers. We all come from a diverse array of backgrounds including engineers, teachers, researchers, live venue managers, lawyers, dancers, poets, and musicians. We started as a group of mates coming together to create a show and have some fun, but over the last 5yrs our dedication and commitment to the arts has grown and expanded, most of us quit our jobs last year to make this a full time gig and immerse ourselves in the world of Fringe. 

Tell us all about your show!

We have two shows at Edinburgh Fringe, our flagship show which is returning for the second time Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody and our brand new show VILLAINS: A Dizney in Drag Parody. 

Disney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody follows the classic hero’s journey. A non-gendered hero goes on a journey to try and find their ‘one true love’, guided by the most unlikely character, the Hairy Godmother, they meet fairytale favourites, like never seen before, to answer questions on love, life and the world around us.

VILLAINS is our brand new show that explores the dark-side, the misunderstood and evil characters and the journey to self-celebration. Our protagonist Villain is guided by The Hairy Godmother but in a new and enchanting underworld of debaucherous delights. 

Be our guest to both, and be prepared for a whole new world you didn’t know you needed. 

How did you come up with the name for the show you’re taking to the fringe?

VILLAINS is the new show and is inspired by the misunderstood characters in childhood movies, the villains. We decided to dive deep into the backstory of these misjudged creatures and weave stories and tales of debauchery, deviousness and delight to create connection and celebration of all characters and their backstories. We all have a little bit of a villain in us!

What other acts are you looking forward to seeing at the fringe?

Garry Starr: Classic Penguins looks like a hilarious new show. We trust anything that Garry does to be a good laugh!

MESSY FRIENDS is another Perth group who are so talented at what they do. It’s colourful, it’s bright, it’s meaningful and it’s drag like never seen before. 

Have you done the fringe before? What are the key pieces of advice you have been given or would give to new groups or people performing at the fringe? 

We’ve done Fringe’s around the world but nothing is like Edinburgh! We were fortunate enough to come over in 2023 and fell in love with the city, its people and performing to the community and travelers. I don’t think anything could have prepared us last year, other than keep an open mind and catch up on sleep before you go! Make sure you factor in self-care days, do things that you enjoy, whether that’s playing a sport outside, going out into nature, watching a movie, putting on a face mask or getting a massage. Make sure you don’t neglect your needs. 

If you’re in a group, spend quality time together that isn’t based on work. Edi is a high stress environment so it’s important to remember the human connection, not just the business mindset. There’ll be bad days, so if you’re in a big group debrief and vent those bad days, if you’re a solo artist find others to be debrief companions. We’ve done that for solo artists before and it’s such a privilege to be cheerleaders for other artists and also support when there are off days. We need to support each other as artists because it isn’t always easy, but it is rewarding. 

Talk us through your daily routine for a day at the Fringe

Get a good night’s rest from the day before, wake up to a yummy coffee with the performance group (we all live together on tour) and have some funny morning chats about the shenanigans we’ve been up to! 

Do some exercise to take care of the body and the mind. 

Get into business with checking emails, ticket sales, brainstorming promotional ideas, filming content, updating social media, washing costumes and make-up brushes, answering interview questions, like these, or doing live interviews and any other admin tasks that need completing (there’s a lot that goes into self-producing shows but we make it fun). 

We rotate our cooking duty in the group, so one day of the week we’ll cook a yummy vegetarian meal for each other so we’re all well nourished. 

Then make-up time. Depending on what show and our character that can take anywhere from 45 min to 2hrs!

Show time! Including set-up, talking to audience members and pack-down. 

We’ll often go to the artist bar afterwards to network or meet other performers or producers to debrief the day. If not, we’ll head back to the house to debrief with each other and watch a movie to unwind. 

What is the best way to enjoy yourself at the fringe?

Have lucky dip nights. Go to a random wild card show that you know nothing about and just give it a go. Finding yourself in unexpected places and shows during Fringe is part of the magic. You’ll meet amazing people, see things out of the ordinary and learn new things about yourself. 

Ok, where is your favourite place to eat at the Fringe? 

I have to be honest, I am a sucker for a nice home cooked meal. Cost of living is high, especially while you’re touring artists on the road, so we have a cooking roster in our group which has each of us cook a vegetarian meal each night of the week. That way we can keep costs down but also enjoy a delicious home cooked meal. If people have recommendations for us though on where to eat we do like a treat every so often, so are all ears!

Best thing about performing at the fringe?

The audiences! One of our favourite parts of the show is actually getting to come and chat to all the audience members afterwards and take photos. You get to hear so many interesting stories and see what resonated and stood out for people. Art inspires us to connect and remember our shared humanity, getting to hear people’s stories is always a privilege! 

Top tips for travelling around the Fringe and getting to shows on time?

Your phone calendars and alarms are your best friend! Using technology to aid you on being on time is a great tool. Also cultivating JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) so that you’re not rushing yourself with trying to do too many things in a day. Choose what you really want to do and what’s important and leave the rest. It’s a marathon not a sprint!

What would be your top three items every performer must take to the fringe?

1. Water bottle! So easy to get dehydrated in the chaos and madness of it all so having a prompt to keep you hydrated is super important 
2. Good face mask, cleansers and moisturizers. If you’re anything like us, we’re putting on A LOT of makeup every single day for shows. Your skin will love you if you give some extra attention and love to it!
3. Journal. You will have some AMAZING experiences in Edinburgh, whether that’s in a show, meeting new people or getting out into nature, climbing the local hills. Writing down your experiences as a little keepsake will be something you cherish, it also helps you process all the madness! 

What’s the secret to successful flyering? 

Have fun! I know that sounds really cliche but when we’re out on the streets, we’re genuinely out there having a good time and being playful. Taking the time to chat with people and make connections, rather than just having a short transactional exchange. I think being from Australia always sparks some great chats and banter as well. 

If people want to find out more about you, where can they follow you on social media?

Instagram @thehairygodmothers 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thehairygodmothers

And Finally in three words – Why should people come and see the show? 

Hilarious, provocative & playful