Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Crewe Amateur Musicals Society are back on stage this week after a long hiatus with their near sell out production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert. This flamboyant musical has something for everyone. Hit musical numbers, catty one liners and a little bit of showbiz in the visuals – and this production didn’t disappoint. Taking the helm once again as director is Sean Johnson-Hargreaves who has brought a fresh approach to this production. This production was generally set with a bare stage which gave the opportunity for slick scene changes and a way in which we could be transformed from scene to scene. Unfortunately, for me, the scene changes were a little cumbersome and there were some opportunities missed to possibly incorporate the scene changes within the action. The bus coming on and off was a little off putting at times when scenes were taking place in front. The dancing and singing were very strong, and it seemed like the storytelling and characterisation was a little weaker than the other two. Saying that, the visuals throughout were fab and there were some fabulous personal touches which were brilliant executed – the baby kangaroo! Hilarious! The overall staging of the numbers especially, was brilliant and impactful. I loved the dancing paintbrushes and cupcakes! I also really enjoyed the Casino Floor Show Montage. The Uluru scene might’ve benefited from a little dry ice to conceal the stage perhaps but overall, the production values ticked all the right boxes which gave us all an entertaining night at the theatre! Despite my own personal feelings – I cannot fault the entertainment value which was felt by the audience!

As I mentioned above, the choreography was strong in this show. Choreographer, Heather Taylor had her work cut out for her, but the entire cast seemed extremely well drilled and the impact on the visuals were fantastic. If I was to be a little picky (which let’s face it I am), I wondered if there were more opportunities to have the country dancers playing instruments with spoons, corrugated iron and washboards etc to have more of a traditional Oz feel, rather than line dancing. This is just a personal thought, however. The three Diva’s were very well choreographed, and I loved all of their intricate movements. I would’ve loved a tiny bit more polish from the three main characters but I’m being extremely picky here!

The band played very well throughout under the helm of Musical Director Treona Holden. I loved hearing each section of the band who barely had time to sit still all night. Treona was fully in control, and it was a pleasure to listen to the band throughout.

The lighting and sound was a little hit and miss for me. Whilst I loved the lighting design, there were times when characters were not in their pools of light. I fear that the pools of light were a little too narrow rather than the actors not hitting their marks. I did love the use of gobo’s throughout on the stage floor, walls and auditorium. They helped layer scenes and add texture. The biggest issue for me was the levels of sound. Whilst the levels for the band were great, when actors spoke over the rall or instrumental bits, I struggled to hear the text from time to time. For me, the sound dept should’ve lowered the band levels for these sections or raised the levels of the actors. I loved the levels of the Diva’s when they were singing but the other two divas who were singing bv’s could’ve been turned up a little. Again, I doubt any of the audience would’ve noticed any of this.

The costumes were simply brilliant! I appreciate all of the hard work that has gone into this area. I personally wasn’t a massive fan of the styling of Bernadette, especially the wig, which covered half of the actor’s face. However, the flamboyant costumes were a visual treat. A special mention has to go to the brilliant dressers who obviously worked tirelessly throughout. The quick changes were excellently executed, and your hard work did not go unnoticed!

It's vitally important that the three main protagonists are cohesive on stage – in this production they certainly were. I really liked the rapport between all three characters, and each interacted with each other very well. Todd Bennett (Tick/Mitzi) was well cast in this role and was able to showcase some lovely vocals. I liked the line delivery and personal journey that Tick had, and Todd was great in this role. His Australian accent was excellent!

Christopher Barker played the role of the sarky Bernadette. For me, Christopher looked a little to young and too polished. I personally would’ve preferred a less naturalistic performance and more of a washed-up, strong-willed wall of stone around her heart type. Some of the catty one liners didn’t quite hit the mark due to the mic level and naturalistic performance. Saying that, a lot of the one liners did manage to hit their mark and I loved the rapport that Christopher had with both Tick and Felicia as well as that of Bob. I also loved some of the nuances that Christopher brought such as the painting of nails with the paintbrush during ‘Colour My World’.

Jacob Taylor played the role of Adam/Felicia and certainly looked the part. Jacob was polished and performed very well. I really enjoyed the lip-syncing scenes and Jacob danced flawlessly and effortlessly.

I have to say that all three of these actors performed well and sang beautifully throughout. This was showcased in numbers such as True Colours. All three Australian accents were fantastic too!

The three Diva’s were captivating throughout! Each one was able to showcase their outstanding vocal talents and each oozed sex appeal and that certain je ne sais quoi needed for these roles. Their choreography was brilliantly executed too – loved them! Huge well done to Natalie Kent (It’s Raining Men was epic), Alice Lambert (Girls Just Wanna Have Fun was excellent) and Diane Wye (I Will Survive – divatastic).

Ian Wilkinson was superbly cast as Bob. It is an understated role to play, and Ian was excellent in this role. I loved the subtleties that Ian brought, and he won the audience over from the offset – great performance!

One of the other highlights for me was the brilliant performance of Cynthia. Siobhan Watts performed as if she only had minutes to prove her talent and my goodness what a talent! Siobhan is the epitome of what energy in a role looks like and she was both hilarious and delightful – proof that no part is indeed too small!

It would be unfair for me to mention all other roles, but each played their part and played them well to enhance the overall piece. Saying that, I just have to mention Jennifer Hall. Her portrayal of Shirley was delightful and well received! ‘I love the Nightlife’ was hilarious!

This is one of those feelgood musicals that gets the audience on their feet to sing and dance along. It was obvious that the cast were having the time of their lives on stage, performing after a long hiatus due to the global pandemic. This enthusiasm for performing enhanced the overall feel for this production and it was a pleasure to sit and watch people doing the hobby they love. Despite some of my own personal thoughts, I cannot deny that this was a joyful production that was entertaining throughout, and I thank Crewe Amateur Musicals Society for their wonderful hospitality (June Millward). I wish them all the very best for the year ahead!

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.