Review: DISENCHANTED, West End Musical Brunch (Online)
Leading ladies of the stage have transformed into the Disney Princesses that we all know and love in Disenchanted and tell the story of what happened after they got their happily ever after.
We are introduced first to who you would call the original trio, Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, played by Jodie Steele, Sophie Isaacs and Allie Daniel respectively.
Snow White spends most of the time metaphorically banging her head against the wall as she has to deal with the other two’s jokes, idiocy and falling asleep in Sleeping Beauty’s case. They begin with a hilarious song about how if another woodland animal speaks to them, they will lose it!
They introduce us to various princesses who speak about what their stories have been like since meeting their happy ever after. We have Belle who “picks up her husband’s poo”, Mulan who “wishes she were a lesbian”, Pocahontas who feels like her cleavage is made a big thing, Balroulbadour aka Jasmine, The Girl who Kissed the Frog, and a Texan drunk spin on The Little Mermaid who wishes she hadn’t traded in her fins.
The show is hilarious. Anyone who is a Disney fan will enjoy this and although they don’t use Disney songs, there are subtle jokes and one-liners that relate to Disney hits and the occasional recognisable musical phrase here and there, alongside some Kazoo-d out expletives and badly timed props.
Amongst all the hilarity, there are a group of women who are portraying great body positive messages for women. ‘All I Want To Do Is Eat’ is taken on by Sophie Isaacs as Cinderella, with the others performing as backing dancers. She speaks about how princesses have pressure to be a particular size when inside they are just starving - a great message in a humorous but meaningful way.
All of the performers have excellent voices and it wouldn’t be fair to single out just one performer, which is why the finale song ‘Once Upon A Time’ is the highlight, as it pieces all of the performers’ voices together in such a beautiful way. The harmonies are excellent, and the number gives each lady the chance to show off their vocals and hit some exquisite notes.
This stream really is a must-see for any Disney or theatre fan this weekend. It will brighten your day!
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Emma Littler
Disenchanted streams until Sunday 11 April here.