The triumphant if somewhat strangely named world premiere season of Tae Tae in the Land of Yaaas! is a wonderful tribute and demonstrates what a cleverly curated Brisbane Festival can achieve.

This is an original production completely out of the box – from the colourful set filled with moving Mondrian style glass frames that create a dreamscape fitting of this wild fantasy, to the sign language interpreters whose lively translations become an integral part of the action.

The show is in its last week on the QPAC Cremorne Theatre stage and let’s hope it’s given another life elsewhere as this story deserves to be told as widely as possible.

It’s inspired by the true story of Estee Lee, the Tae Tae of the title – and was written by her sister – shake & stir’ theatre co’s Nelle Lee, who also stars.

Tae Tae in the Land of Yaaas! is a confronting, funny, and ultimately celebratory retelling of Tae’s journey from heartbreaking loss to a life full of adventure, success and love.

Paralysed in a car accident as a small child, Tae (Maya Dove in a fabulous debut) has struggled to come to terms with what is now possible in her life. The arrival of a fabulously flawed drag queen fairy godmother (Maxi Shield from RuPaul’s Drag Race) with chicken salt for fairy dust takes her frustrations on a diversion epic in scale.

The compact cast juggles numerous roles seamlessly, with Johnny Balbuziente and Helen Cassidy taking on the demands of the fast-moving script and making the audience laugh and cry in equal measure.

For a show that centres around such a tragic event Tae Tae is surprisingly funny. It’s a bit like life really – with all its twists and turns. This show is a celebration of life’s detours, ones we thought would derail or define us but end up becoming simply one small part of who we are.

Hilarious and fun drag performances are interspersed throughout with Maxi Shield punctuating the action with often hilarious retorts and dance performances.

The scripting is very clever with a fantasy structure to the storyline that works well. Thankfully in the hands of a company as accomplished at adapting stories as shake and stir, the story shines.

The ending will leave you wishing you had your own fairytale and might inspire you to create one for yourself after you leave the theatre.

Tae Tae in the Land of Yaaas! Is on until September 17 at the Cremorne Theatre, QPAC

Brisbanefestival.com.au