Reviewed by Jordan D'Arcy
Disenchanted is a very new comedy musical, written in a cabaret style, about the princesses we know and love from popular children’s entertainment and their less-than-PG personal problems. Director Lys Tickner has wrangled some impressive voices for this production.
Sara Cleary as Cinderella (perfectly costumed by Stella Sawyer) was a particular stand-out in this show. Rufina Mwangura, as The Princess That Kissed the Frog, was excellent; her solo song exemplified a voice with much more power than you’d expect from someone who is only 15.
There were several cast members under 18 – many of whom had solo numbers with extremely adult content. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the show, this made audience members a tad uncomfortable, as those younger actors delivered some extremely mature material.
The band was small but excellent. The three-piece ensemble was placed behind the actors, meaning they were visible throughout the show. There were times when the actors engaged directly with theband (specifically, Paris Ceg as the Little Mermaid), which was very fun and appropriate for the cabaret style.
It was difficult to tell which princesses some of the actors were meant to be before their name was used. In particular, Belle (portrayed wonderfully neurotically by Hayley Currie) was difficult to identify, as she was in the less recognisable blue and white (albeit with a clever rose motif) as opposed to her classic yellow.
This script has some very technically difficult songs, and the cast, with the assistance of vocal director Tashlin Church, has bravely tackled them. It was clear that significant work had gone into the music.
Chloe Palliser’s lighting design was very cute. The colour motifs for each princess were overt but perfect for the production. Elaborate projections (also impressively designed by Chloe Palliser) were used to add some visual intensity to some numbers.
I couldn’t help but feel that the majority of the cast was underutilised. Several actors came on for their solo songs and then were not on stage again until the finale – I felt there were
missed opportunities for bigger dance numbers which would have given the show a stronger cabaret vibe.
Overall, Disenchanted was a fun cabaret evening, with some very witty elements to the production. There are still three more shows, so there is still ample opportunity to see it!
Reviewer Note: Tickets for this review were provided by the theatre company. Jordan is has also worked with members of this cast and crew on other shows around Perth.
Comments