Rope Drop

Crazy Coqs 23/03/2026

Interview with Ayesha Patel and Jordan Li-Smith with special guests Emily Hespe and Lois Mia Chapman

Disney has captured the hearts of many of us; I would even argue it’s captured all of us… but some may not admit it. Crazy Coq’s audience is in for a magical treat on the 23rd March, and for one night only. It’s a Disney park-inspired cabaret with special guests who will knock your socks off… please don’t actually take your socks off.

It is a reminder to be true to who you are and embrace your quirks. It’s going to be a wholesome, warm hug of a show and will scratch that Disney itch. Prepare for a musical journey through the Disney parks.

I was lucky enough to have a conversation with the creators of this enchanting cabaret, the dynamic and hard-working duo: Jordan Li-Smith and Ayesha Patel. They have kindly shared with us a little taste of what is to expect from the dazzling evening. If you haven’t already snapped up your fast-pass to this nostalgic adventure, you simply must before they run out. Get your Mickey ears at the ready and your Main Street champagne in hand. The more Disney-inspired you dress, THE BETTER!

---

Let's get on with the show:

Q: Where did the name 'Rope Drop' come from?

Ayesha: Rope Drop is a famous tradition at the Disney Parks where guests queue up at park opening to be the first in line for entry/certain rides and attractions. Disney loves to make a grand show of this, too. It's exciting, joyful and feels optimistic. All things we want the audience to feel alongside us in the show! As the show follows Jordan and me on our perfect day in the Disney Parks, it begins at the very beginning: the 'Rope Drop,' a very good place to start.

Jordan: It’s the first rush of excitement, as everyone runs towards the rides they’ve been dreaming about the night before. I guess it felt like the perfect metaphor for the show; it’s all about joy, nostalgia, and the slightly obsessive love people have for Disney and the parks, but it’s also about the feeling of starting something new, the moment the day begins, and anything feels possible.

Q: What is your FAVOURITE Disney core memory?

Jordan: Riding “it’s a small world” with Ayesha whilst severely drunk on champagne from Main St. U.S.A. We may explore this moment in more detail in the show...

Ayesha: For me, it's always the feeling before watching the fireworks. The anticipation, sitting outside the castle with either a hot drink or (now I'm a grown-up)  Main Street Champagne. At the end of the trip, the feeling of gratitude to be in such a happy place with people who mean a lot to me. It's a special and rare moment of peace in a hectic and overwhelming world. It's that feeling of the heart being full. 

Q: What do the audience have in store?

Ayesha: A whole lot of fun! We're taking you all to Disneyland (or Disney World) for the night. We explore why we keep coming back to the parks, how our inner child shapes who we are today, and how we can embrace that childlike wonder and parts of ourselves now. Jordan has created unique, enchanting and compelling arrangements of these iconic songs for us to perform with a wonderful live band. I am so excited to share this with the audience - it feels very special. This show is filled with a lot of heart and a lot of ourselves. Anyone missing the Disney Parks or wishing they could go - this is the perfect love letter to them and a quick Disney fix. 

Jordan: The audience can expect a joyful, nostalgic night celebrating Disney music and the stories we all grew up with. It’s not just a cabaret of songs; it’s a full show with storytelling, anecdotes, comedy, and a live band, where we take the audience with us on our perfect “day in the park”, from rope drop all the way to the fireworks.

Along the way, we explore why Disney means so much to people, and what it is that keeps bringing us back — the music, the nostalgia, the characters — while also (very self-deprecatingly) acknowledging the weird and wonderful world of the Disney Adult, and gently wrestling with the moral question of why a multi-billion-dollar corporation has such an emotional hold over us. We have a good go at answering that one... but at least the songs are very good!

It’s funny, heartfelt, and hopefully reminds people why these stories stay with us long after

childhood...

Q: If you were a Disney character, who do you think you would be? 

Jordan: Sebastian. He is also a musical director.

Jokes. Seriously, though, I think Figment. He’s big on imagination, as am I. He definitely has slightly chaotic theatre-kid energy, too!

Ayesha: Even though Belle was my favourite Disney Princess, and I related to her the most growing up, bookish and 'different'. I think I'm most like Anna. I'm clumsy, plucky, and full of energy. Like Anna, I am fiercely loyal with a lot of love I want to share. In other words, a creative, clumsy yapper that loves love. 

Q: Tell us about your special guests?

Ayesha: They are both absolutely incredible performers and will enchant the audience. They'll be in love with them as we are! 

Emily Hespe and I work together at the stagey musical theatre sing-along bar 'Sing Out Louise' at The Phoenix Arts Club. We started as Singing Servers together and became friends. She is such a playful performer, with powerhouse vocals and sharp comedic chops! I met Lois Mia Chapman at a birthday party of Jordan's - Disney Fancy Dress, of course! She was a radiant Rapunzel! Lois is sparkling, with a beautiful voice and presence! - I'm excited to have both of these gorgeous performers in this show. They're bringing something truly dazzling and electric! 

Jordan: I met Lois Mia Chapman through the National Youth Music Theatre and have music-directed her in a few of their productions, most notably The Hunchback of Notre Dame, where she played Esmeralda. She is such a talent, and I’m so happy she’s involved in Rope Drop.

And Emily Hespe is a colleague of mine at the musical theatre sing-along piano bar Sing Out,

Louise at Phoenix Arts Club. And let me tell you, this woman has pipes! Not only that, she is one of the funniest people I know, and you’ll definitely get to see that side of her in the show.

Q: Which Disney character would you like to watch this show and why?

Jordan: Mother Gothel. I very much believe deep down that she’s a closeted cabaret star.

Ayesha: Scrooge McDuck, so he could he can help fund future ones, and we can do it all again and again and again. And he's a musician, so I think he'd appreciate the art. 

Q: How have you made this Disney experience your own?

Ayesha: Jordan and I wanted to take the audience through our own 'perfect day' in the parks. Inspired by our own trips throughout our lives! It's incredibly personal, as each step of the path unlocks a nostalgic song, memory or anecdote from childhood to adulthood. Rope-Drop follows our own journeys, embracing our unapologetic selves, healing our inner child and finding a place to belong.

A shared love for the Disney Parks and Disney, of course, was one of the things that sparked the beginning of Jordan's and my friendship. I'll always be very grateful for that! I used to be scared of telling people about my love of the Disney Parks as I feared they'd think me childish, weird or wouldn't take me seriously. Embracing the whimsy and our whole authentic selves is what helps us find our people.

I think it's wonderful how something so joyful can forge lifelong friendships and community. In a world that can be isolating, scary and overwhelming, I think togetherness and connection are more important than ever. 

Jordan: Disney stories are often about characters going through difficult things and finding hope, and that’s something we’ve leaned into with the show. Alongside the nostalgia and fun, we talk about moments from our own lives where Disney music and storytelling meant a lot to us. For me, that includes reflecting on losing my dad, and for Ayesha, it includes growing up feeling quite isolated and bullied at school. We don’t dwell on these things too heavily; the show is still very joyful, but they’re part of what makes the music feel so personal to us.

So, our stamp on it is bringing our own stories into the Disney ones.

Q: Describe the show in one sentence?

Jordan: A funny and heartfelt celebration of Disney Parks music and nostalgia, told through the ultimate “day at the parks”, from rope drop to fireworks.

Ayesha: Through the lens of one 'perfect day' at Disney between friends, Rope Drop celebrates the music and nostalgia of the Disney Parks alongside the vulnerability and joy of embracing who we are. 

---

CLICK HERE to book your tickets to this Disney-tastic show.