Edinburgh Fringe Chats (#25): Hannah Power & Conor Murray, DON’T TELL DAD ABOUT DIANA

27 Jun

Conducted by Emmie for Theatre and Tonic

As anticipation builds for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025, we’re catching up with a range of exciting creatives preparing to bring their work to the world’s largest arts festival this August. In this series, we delve into the stories behind the shows, the inspiration driving the artists, and what audiences can expect.

Today we’re joined by Hannah Power and Conor Murray to chat about Don’t Tell Dad About Diana.

1. Can you begin by telling us about your show and what inspired it?

Don’t Tell Dad About Diana is set in Dublin in 1997. Two friends prepare to compete for the crown of Alternative Miss Ireland with their Princess Diana drag act, under the nose of their hardline nationalist families. As they race through the city towards competition night, Diana’s death sparks the unravelling of their secret, their friendship and their plans to leave Ireland.

The initial idea for the play came from watching the 1997 episode of Reeling in the Years (An Irish TV show that reviews stories and music from one specific year per episode), seeing peace talks in the north unfold at the same time as Princess Diana’s media frenzy. They are two things we hadn’t placed side-by-side in our minds before and we wanted to explore it more. Plus, we were both living in London at the time and spending a significant amount of time explaining Irish history to British people.

All of this was the inspiration behind what led us to begin writing the show!

2. What made you want to bring this work to the Fringe this year?

While developing Don’t Tell Dad About Diana, we performed short snippets at scratch nights/ work in progress showings in both Dublin and London. Even at this early stage, feedback from audiences on where this piece might find a home was very clear- Edinburgh Fringe. Edinburgh in August is chaotic, creative, and completely unhinged in the best possible way and that’s exactly the spirit of this show.

3. How would you describe your show in three words?

Chaotic. Hilarious. Heartfelt.

4. What do you hope audiences take away from watching your performance?

We hope audiences take away a reminder that humour can be a real lifeline. Filled with lots of laughs, the show sneaks in something deeper: a reflection on identity, loyalty, and how we find the courage to forge our own way. At its heart, Don’t Tell Dad About Diana is a story about formative friendships on the cusp of great change. We hope audiences leave with the urge to text their teenage pals to meet up for a pint. We’d like to think the show is an ode to giving teenage friendships their proper dues.

5. What’s your top tip for surviving the Fringe?

We are first time fringers so truly any advice we give we will likely ignore at the beginning and implement towards the end. Honestly, I think doing one activity daily that is in no way related to your show or the festival. Whether that's making a meal, getting some headspace on the walk home or clambering up to Arthur's Seat. Doing just one thing that's outside of the Fringe ‘Bubble’ is good for the head and keeps you on track to making the most of the festival. As literally anyone who has ever been has said to us (without blinking) ((even once)): Ed Fringe is a marathon, not a sprint.

6. Where and when can people see your show?

Don’t Tell Dad About Diana will be at Underbelly’s Bellydancer space in Cowgate at 12.50 pm Daily apart from the 12th of August. The show runs at just under an hour so plenty of time to run to the next one!