Rope Drop is quite a large show for such a small space. With three musicians — guitar, bass and drums — alongside musical director Jordan Li-Smith on keys, who also performs the show with Ayesha Patel, plus two guests (Henry Calvert and Esme Bowdler at this performance), there is an impressive amount of musical talent packed into The Other Palace Studio.
Rope Drop: The Unofficial Disney Parks Comedy grew out of Li-Smith and Patel’s shared love of Disney Parks, with a trip to Disneyland Paris helping inspire the show. First staged as a cabaret at Crazy Coqs, it has since expanded into a two-act comedy combining music, personal stories, Disney trivia, games and audience interaction.
Directed by Tara Noonan, the show is structured around a day at a Disney Park — from rope drop through to the fireworks — Li-Smith and Patel take us through rides, parades, hotels and assorted Disney adventures, drawing on their own experiences along the way.
The show features an eclectic mix of songs, stories and it is undoubtedly the music that works best. The songs performed include new arrangements, including a great overture by Li-Smith, to Disney favourites such as Once Upon a Dream, When You Wish Upon a Star and It’s a Small World, alongside some ‘reworkings’ of familiar musical theatre numbers. The pair recall arriving at the Cars-themed Disney Hotel Santa Fe, where the receptionist greeted them with “Ka-chow, bienvenue, welcome”, and then break into a short rendition of “Willkommen” from Cabaret.
There is plenty packed around the music too. Disney plush toys, a couple of rounds of the ‘name game’, a visit from special guests who pop up throughout the evening playing multiple roles, including an Animal Kingdom guide and Fairy Godmother. It all adds to the sense of two genuine Disney enthusiasts sharing their special world.
Some of the most engaging moments are also the simplest. Li-Smith and Patel share personal stories about their own trips to Disneyland, with their families which provide a lovely touch and reveal the genuine affection for the parks that sits behind the show. It’s in these moments that Rope Drop feels at its most authentic.
The problem is that all these different ingredients don’t yet quite come together as a cohesive whole.
The banter between Li-Smith and Patel too often falls flat, while some of the jokes feel more like inside references and jokes than something that appeals to a wider theatre audience. A recurring gag in which Li-Smith puts a coin into a swear jar whenever he shares something particularly specific is a good example: there’s an idea there, but it never quite develops into something sufficiently funny.
The tone can also feel inconsistent. It’s a Small World, for example, is performed completely straight and with real sincerity. It’s nicely sung, but surrounded by parody numbers and comedy, it feels as though it belongs in a slightly different show.
And that’s a shame, because Rope Drop already has most of the ingredients it needs. Fun Disney facts, personal stories, genuine theme-park passion and some excellent songs could provide a strong thread through the whole evening. Instead, the show currently dips in and out of them, making it difficult at times to know exactly what it wants to be.
With such a large company, there has clearly been considerable investment in the musical side of the production, and you can hear the benefit whenever the songs take over. It therefore feels particularly frustrating that such strong musicianship is repeatedly slowed down by dialogue that isn’t operating at the same level.
There is a fun, affectionate and potentially distinctive Disney cabaret inside Rope Drop. The passion is genuine, the musical talent is considerable and there are some inspired ideas. My three Disney wishes for the production to take the show to the next level are to tighten the dialogue, find a clearer structure and let those excellent songs do more of the heavy lifting.
Review: Lola Phillips