Sunday night found me right down the middle of Main Street, USA, or, respectively, The Other Palace, for Rope Drop: The Unofficial Disney Parks Comedy. A cabaret penned by friends Jordan Li Smith and Ayesha Patel, the show had its start at Crazy Coqs before moving to The Other Palace.
This show is brilliantly unapologetic with its pure, unadulterated Disney geekiness, at a time when “Disney adults” are often the butt of many a joke, which is played on regularly in Rope Drop. We are taken on a day in the parks with Jordan and Ayesha, who can’t agree on whether they are in Paris or Orlando. Through this, we are treated to hilarity, chaos, niche references that got multiple belly laughs out of me (shout out to Defunctland’s four-hour FastPass video), and many a great song or clever bit.
The show really packs a punch, and at no point does it feel stale or tired. Jordan has brilliantly arranged and orchestrated the piece, with a rich and full band to accompany. For most of the show we find Jordan brilliantly at the piano, but even when he isn’t, we don’t lose any quality musically. His love for the parks shines through the arrangements, from the overture he’d written to his tiny moments of comedic accompaniment.
Equally, Ayesha’s energy is completely infectious and the pair bounce off each other effortlessly. Ayesha’s vocals, from her enormous belt to her highly impressive soprano, were an utter treat. Her rendition of A Change in Me was a particular highlight.
The concept is a stroke of genius, with the opportunity to showcase both well-known and very niche repertoire that would usually not see the light of day in a musical theatre setting. It was a joy to hear songs such as The Enchanted Tiki Room, It’s a Small World and Happily Ever After.
With each of its three performances, there are two special guests, and we were lucky enough to have Henry Calvert, whose offbeat humour had the room in stitches, and Esme Bowdler, whose vocals shone in Part of Your World, which shortly became Poor Unfortunate Souls.
What took me most by surprise, however, was the heart of the piece. With an idea like this, there is so much room for silly moments, which they more than take advantage of. But to hear Ayesha and Jordan talk about their personal experiences that tie their hearts to the parks, and to defend their inner children’s love for them, followed by a beautiful version of Wishes — a song very close to my heart — was truly special. I noticed quite a few people in the room were teary, myself included.
This show strikes gold in its idea and execution and is testament to the love and care it has been handled with. I went in expecting an evening of Disney songs, jokes and niche references and left having been reminded why these parks mean so much to so many people. Whether you’re a Disney fan or not, this is an absolute delight from start to finish.
Review by Kyanna Cronshaw
You can find out more about Rope Drop and their future productions on Instagram here.
If you like this review you might also like my review of Death Note, The Comedy About Spies and My Neighbour Totoro.