Could you first introduce yourself to the reader?
Hi I’m Jae West and I’m an actress and co-producer with The Hairy Godmothers!
How would you describe your show?
We have two shows at Edinburgh Fringe, both interweave storytelling, mythical creatures and live singing in a nostalgic journey down memory lane. The first one is called Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody and the second is VILLAINS: A Dizney in Drag Parody.
We were inspired by the fairytales and fables that we hear about as children but we wanted to make an adult version. Storytelling is such a powerful way to bring important themes and topics to the forefront of people’s brains and make them contemplate the world around them, so we wanted to make a story for adults!
Both shows are very pantomime and comedy based with lots of audience interaction, that means every show is unique as we co-create the experience with the audience.
What is your favourite part of your show?
The resolution that we get to at the end of both shows is heart-warming and nostalgic. Although we have a lot of laughs and can be very silly and mischievous throughout the show, both of the shows come to a strong message that we believe in. I won’t spoil the messaging, you’ll have to come see the show to experience it for yourself!
If your show had a theme song, what would it be and why?
This is Me by Keala Settle from The Greatest Showman would have to be up there! It’s such a song of celebration of uniqueness for people of all different backgrounds coming together to celebrate life. I think that’s relevant for both our performance group and the characters in our show. As a group we come from very varied backgrounds, such as engineers, science researchers, lawyers, podiatrists, as well as arts backgrounds within dancing, acting and singing. Our varied backgrounds and differing opinions work together nicely and are actually very complimentary. It’s a nice reminder to surround yourself with people that don’t always talk or act exactly the same as you. The characters in our shows also go on journeys of self discovery, so being able to embrace oneself is at the core of our show and this song. Great question!
Are there any particular themes or messages you hope the audience takes away from your performance?
There’s definitely a strong theme at the core of both of the shows and that is to love and accept yourself. As cliche as that sounds, our relationship to ourselves influences the way we see the world around us and how we interact with others. Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody is focused on the quest of the hero trying to find their one true love, whereas VILLAINS is focused on the path of self-discovery and unlearning the messages that don’t help us on our path of self-growth and self-expression. So the ultimate take-away for audience members would be that they feel empowered to express themselves and love themselves in new and expansive ways.
Why do you want to perform at Edinburgh Festival Fringe? What differentiates it from other festivals?
Coming from Australia, Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the one that is revered and idolised! It’s such a magical city but then you put a whole heap of performers and fun shows on top of that and it’s hard not to be in awe of it. We are fortunate to have some great Fringe Festival’s in Australia but the size of Edinburgh is unparalleled. It seems that every second shop is a Fringe venue and it’s so normal to walk down the street and see performers dressed up running from one gig to another. We’re probably one of the ones you’ll spot, a full face of drag make-up wandering the streets in bright coloured costumes!
How has your experience at past Fringes influenced or changed your approach to this year's performance?
Every Fringe and season is different. We came into Edinburgh Fringe last year without having been to the city before so it was definitely harder making some decisions, like where to place marketing banners and posters but we made it work. Having stayed for the whole month last year definitely gives us more insights into the city. There’s always more to learn though so we’re excited!
What is your favourite thing to do in Edinburgh when you're not performing? How do you relax and look after your mental health?
We’re thankfully a big group so you never get bored! Carving out time for solo adventures and solitude is definitely an important part of the mental health plan though. I love exercising so getting out for some nice scenic runs is high on the priority list. I also like looking up local deals and specials to pamper myself or create fun adventures at least once a week. I’ve already booked a facial for the first week!
What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone thinking about taking a show up to Edinburgh?
Just do it and when you do, go see as many shows as you can! It’s such a unique experience to have skilled performers from around the world in one place and easily accessible. The more shows you go to the more you’re inspired to work on your own craft and try new things. Capitalise on the unique opportunity!
What is one thing you would change about the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
Ensuring that all artists leave with money in their pocket. A lot of shows go to Edinburgh knowing that they’ll lose money. When you add up accommodation, flights, food, transport and everything else that comes along with touring, there is a lot to invest. To put that amount of pressure on ticket sales means that it can be stressful. Alleviating that stress and pressure would create so much ease and joy.
How has your background, upbringing and education had an impact on your artistic career?
My education was actually in science, I have a PhD in health psychology! The many years of studying definitely made me disciplined and helped with producing shows. I always maintained a connection to the arts while I was studying though. I was choreographing and performing with drag queens in Perth by the age of 17 and was doing film and TV acting. That was where my deepest joy and excitement came from. It takes a lot of courage to surrender the security of a 9-5 Monday-Friday job and trust that performing and doing what you love will sustain you. I made the transition a couple of years ago now, it was scary but worth it!
Can you describe your creative process and how you develop your ideas into a full-fledged performance?
We are a very unique group in that we write, produce, direct and perform the shows together with 6-8 cast members at a time. We kept being told that there would be too many cooks in the kitchen but it worked really well for us. We’ve all learnt a lot over the last 5 years with communication styles and the creative process of each individual.
Our process for creating a show usually starts with reverse engineering the experience we want the audience members to leave with e.g., we want to uplift, inspire, make people smile etc. Once we have a clear idea of the experience we can then create through a lens of seeing if it fits in with our objectives. We’ll create a storyline then break off into smaller groups to write individual scenes. The scenes are usually linked to a topic that we feel strongly about and observe in the world around us e.g. toxic masculinity, LGBTQIA+ themes, disconnection to self love. Scenes will then go through multiple reviews with other cast members before getting the tick of approval. It’s always a refinement process though, sometimes things that you think will be funny don’t land when it’s delivered in person and sometimes the funniest one liners come in the moment when you're onstage. Your audience will always reflect back to you when things do or don’t work!
What is your favourite thing about performing for a live audience?
Live theatre is amazing, especially when you get to do audience interaction. Being able to see people’s smiling faces, you can see their eyes light up when they resonate with a song, a message or character. There’s a huge pantomime culture over here too, so we have people interacting with us and shouting things out continually. It means we can have some fun banter and test our improvisation skills too! It keeps us on our toes so no two shows are exactly the same.
What is the strangest thing that has ever happened to you while performing?
Someone proposed in the middle of our show! Maybe that’s not strange but it was very interesting, sweet and out of the norm. The man proposing had come to Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody with friends and had the idea mid-show to come back again and bring his partner to the show to propose. We have one part in the show which is a parody version of The Lady and the Tramp spaghetti eating scene where we get a couple from the audience to help us paint the picture. Once he saw that scene he knew. He came up to us straight after the show and shared his vision and asked if we would help make it come true. We were over the moon with such a request! He’d bought a really adorable ring holder which was a small pumpkin carriage to hold the ring. We organised all the finer details over messages and brought this guy's dreams to life. It was such a success, she said yes!
What's the most challenging or unconventional venue you've ever performed in, and how did it impact the overall experience?
The first year that we did the show we were in a movie theatre! There was a tiny 3 x 1.5m metre stage in front of the screen, which is not a big area for 8 drag performers that like taking up space! We also had to bring in our own lighting and sound equipment so it was quite a big process to set up and pack down every night before and after the show. It was so much fun though, it’s really sweet looking back at the photos.
We’ve been pretty fortunate with venues ever since then. The only funny experience we had was last year at Edinburgh Fringe. The stage was great but our change area was an emergency stairwell. Not the easiest thing for drag queens with big costumes but we made it work. I feel like it was an initiation to Edinburgh Fringe!
Who are some of your artistic influences, and how have they shaped your work?
Cate Blanchett! Her versatility in roles, commitment to the character and authenticity in performances shines through so radiantly. Some of the work she’s done is incredibly edgy as well which inspires me personally to push the edges of what art can evoke in us. Being a fellow Aussie is a bonus!
In regards to drag, I grew up around drag queens, so there are two queens that stand out for me from when I was a teenager, Barbie-Q and Feminine (now Dean Misdale). I danced for both of these queens but having been so young at the time they really mentored me and helped me find my feet both as a performer and a person. They taught me the meaning of community within the LGBTQIA+ scene and the importance of supporting others to find their own unique expression.
Is there a piece of feedback you've received from an audience member or critic after a performance that’s stuck with you?
Feedback for the show would be “a musical drag pantomime on acid”, it’s a hilarious but weirdly accurate way of describing our show!
As an individual I’ve received some really beautiful compliments that inspire me to go deeper with my work each time. One lovely critic at Adelaide Fringe wrote a whole paragraph on me and my performance in VILLAINS “Her poise, class, and sass truly brings the character to life, re-telling the tale as old as time but casting it in a new light. Her skills as a dancer, singer, choreographer, and signed actor really shine through in her portrayal of the mistress of evil.”. I feel quite self indulgent writing all these beautiful compliments down! Acting and performance can be hard and trains you to have a thick skin, so when you get a genuine compliment and someone really resonates with your style of performance, it makes a difference.
Is there a show you’re excited to see when you’re up there?
I’m really interested to see the new show by Xhloe and Natasha, A Letter to Lyndon B Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First. I loved their show ‘And Then The Rodeo Burned Down’ last year, the script writing was impeccable and their acting was phenomenal.
When and where can people see your show?
We’re on the whole month starting Aug 1st alternating Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody & VILLAINS every night (except Monday) at 10.35pm at Assembly in the Gordon Aikman Theatre.
And where can people find you online?
@thehairygodmothers on instagram and Facebook (@dr.jae_west is my personal one)
The Hairy Godmothers Dizney in Drag: Once Upon a Parody & VILLAINS: A Dizney in Drag Parody
10:35pm, Assembly Gordon Aikman Theatre, Tues - Sun throughout August
Tickets https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/villains-a-dizney-in-drag-parody & https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/dizney-in-drag-once-upon-a-parody
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