Review: Don’t Tell Dad About Diana (Underbelly Boulevard Soho)

Review by Seth Wilby

⭐⭐⭐

I wasn’t alive when Princess Diana died - as I’m sure will be the case for many reading this review- it was nearly thirty years ago, after all. Yet her legacy has lasted to an almost unrivalled extent, even spilling onto our stages, with Awkward Prods’ Untold and Untrue Story a regular reoccurrence on the fringe theatre scene, and Diana: The Musical still watchable (at your own risk) on Netflix. And now, we have Don’t Tell Dad About Diana, transferring to Soho from the Edinburgh Fringe, but could it live up to the legacy of the People’s Princess?

It seems like everyone remembers where they were when they found out Diana had died, but it’s hard to imagine a worse time than the day of the grand performance of your Princess Diana drag act. Yet that is the situation we see unfold, between two friends in Dublin, competing for the title of Alternative Miss Ireland while hiding this huge part of themselves. What follows is a touching tale of acceptance, friendship, and aggressively enthusiastic stanning of the queen of our hearts.

Written and performed by Hannah Power and Conor Murray, this two-hander feels perfectly and authentically fringe-y. The two keenly bounce across the stage, with just a Diana-adorned wardrobe dressing the set. It’s the kind of show you have to give yourself in to, ideally with a cold glass of Chardonnay, and you will have a fairly fun time- a lot of the scenes play out in an undeniably amusing manner, and the two’s writing is packed with giggle-worthy humour, both from genuine jokes and the eccentricity of this worship.

The vigour of these performances is what sells this concept so well. Power and Murray are inherently likeable and relatable, with a clear connection to this show and some nodding winks to the audience when necessary. These characters are believable, understandable, and brilliantly funny. Their relationship is the emotional core and the element that feels the most real. Power’s performance, as well as being distinctly entertaining, touches some genuine emotions, with a face hiding deeper, darker feelings than she lets on. Similarly, Murray shines, with slightly bulkier material allowing for some great moments. 

Murray excels most in the sound check of their performance. A masterpiece in fringe theatre, it filled the crowd with zealous cackles, showing off all that's great about the writing, performances, and Emme Finegan’s engaging direction. Arriving at just the right time, it brings the house down and makes the scene that instantly follows it even more effective. If you have always wanted to see drag performed to a techno-funk remix of Diana’s Panorama interview (cause who hasn't?), then this will not disappoint. And if, for some reason, you’ve never wanted that, this will not only change your mind, but it will leave your cheeks aching.

Disappointingly, though, the show never reaches that level of insanely gut-busting humour again. For a show all about Diana Drag, there's a disproportionately high amount of Diana compared to drag. While I understand why they can’t oversaturate the show with too much of this extravagancy, it's gasping for these levels of unbreakable laughter to be reached again. The final performance of their act has the potential to reach this, but instead teeters awkwardly between the sincere and the silly. It’s a production that relies on its emotional heart, but is at its strongest when this is abandoned for the sake of sniggers. 

The poignancy in this production comes from the heartening relationship between Hannah and Conor (which is given full justice) and the difficulties of their nationalist families (which, unfortunately, is not). The final scenes are where the true power of the story is allowed to shine, yet we never feel the emotional attachment needed for these to land their intended impact- perhaps this is because we see very little of Conor’s father, irreparably blocking the full potential of this dynamic. It’s their biggest shot at a powerful take on the difficulties of acceptance, yet the conclusion is nearly non-existent. These crucial moments are underexplored, and stop this entertaining show from becoming a truly powerful one.

I guess that’s always going to be difficult when you have so much to say in only sixty minutes- themes as complex as identity, belonging, acceptance, and friendship will never be able to be given full justice. Yet what makes this case more concerning is that they certainly do have time to use their proficiencies in order to do this better. The final scenes are good, but too short. The first few scenes are similarly entertaining, but unnecessary. For nearly thirty minutes, we’re enjoying spending time in Hannah and Conor’s company, but that’s all we’re doing. 

As harsh as it sounds, these scenes need to be cut to give us more time to spend later on. Sure, I see their dramaturgical purpose- we can’t jump straight into our story without connecting to our characters. Yet, here, we connect so quickly that it isn’t necessary. Within one scene, we see the strength of their friendship and connection to Diana; we don’t need to be shown it repeatedly. They’re entertaining and get deserved laughs, but the show needs to lose them in order to reach its full potential.

Decades on from Diana’s death, it's brilliant that we can still use her legacy to frame these important stories. Don’t Tell Dad About Diana is a deeply pleasant experience, with the audience loving every moment in an hour-long burst of fun and acceptance. Sure, it needs a decent amount of restructuring to reach its full potential, but spending this time with Hannah and Conor gives the show enough to work with from the get-go. Add to that some entertaining scenes, a heartfelt story, and one show-stopping moment, and you have a night that proves you don’t need a crown to charm.

DON’T TELL DAD ABOUT DIANA plays at Underbelly Boulevard Soho until 28 May 2026. Tickets from https://underbellyboulevard.com/tickets/dont-tell-dad-about-diana/