Priscilla Queen of the Desert

This flamboyant musical has something for everyone. Hit musical numbers, malicious one-liners and a little bit of showbiz in the visuals – and this production didn’t disappoint. Based on the famous 1994 film with the book by Australian film director Stephan Elliot and Allan Scott. This Jukebox style musical is chocked full of dance floor favourites from the get-go.

The story tells of two drag queens and a trans-woman contracted to perform a drag show in Alice Springs, a remote resort town in the Australian desert. Setting out from Sydney in a bus named “Priscilla”, the three friends encounter a variety of characters together with all manner of stereotypical reactionary homophobia along the way.

Taking the helm as director was Francene Harris who brought a fresh approach to this production. Scene changes were generally slick, the storytelling and characterisation strong and the singing was superb. The visuals throughout were fabulous and there were some great touches which were brilliantly executed. I loved the kangaroos in the finale! Hilarious! The overall staging of the numbers were suited to each song and situation and were well executed. If anything, the opening number was weaker than the rest but that could have been just on the night I watched it. Humour was brought out to the max and the costumes were simply stunning.  The production values ticked all the right boxes, which gave us all an entertaining night at the theatre!

As I mentioned above, the choreography was strong in this show. Choreographer, Emma Constantine had her work cut out for her, but the entire cast seemed extremely well drilled and the impact on the visuals were fantastic. The three Divas were very well choreographed, and I loved all of their intricate movements.  The band were a triumph. They played very well throughout under the helm of Musical Director Owen McColgan. I loved hearing each section of the band who barely had time to sit still all night. Owen was fully in control, and it was a pleasure to listen to the band throughout.

The costumes were simply out of this world! I appreciate all of the hard work that has gone into this area. They were bright, campy, and full of fun. I personally wasn’t a massive fan of the styling of Bernadette as I found that the character didn’t always come across feminine enough in looks. However, the flamboyant costumes were a visual treat. The quick changes were excellently executed, and the hard work collating everything wardrobe wise 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. James Stacey (Tick/Mitzi) was well cast in this role and was able to display some lovely vocals. I liked the line delivery and personal journey that Tick had, and James was great in this role. His Australian accent was convincing. Scott Highway played the wonderful role of the sarcastic Bernadette. For me, Scott looked a little too masculine at times. However, his delivery of the snide one-liners was superb and I loved the light and shade he showed throughout his characters’ journey. He showed a real empathy and understanding. 

Jamie Knights played the role of Adam/Felicia and certainly looked the part. Jamie was polished and performed exceptionally well. He appeared to be living his best life. His singing was exceptional. I really wish we could have had the opportunity to enjoy the lip-syncing opera out of the roof of the bus, as I’m sure he would have nailed it.

The three Divas were captivating throughout! Each one was able to highlight their outstanding vocal talents, 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 Rachel Crane –Herbert, Carly Harwood and Josie Stone.

Lee Round was superbly cast as Bob. It is an understated role to play, and he was excellent in this role. I loved the subtleties that Lee brought, and he won the audience over from the offset – great performance! One of the other highlights for me was the brilliant performance of Shirley. Marianna Allen performed as if she only had minutes to prove her talent and my goodness what a talent! Marianna is the epitome of what “no holds barred” effort 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 Felix Fielden as Benji. His duet with Tik made everyone feel a little emotional. As they say – out of the mouths of babes.

This show has a resonating universal message of acceptance, behind the mask and the makeup people are more alike than they are different. We all have dreams and aspirations, and friends who are as honest as we sometimes need them to be. This is one of those feel good 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. I cannot deny that this was a joyful production that was entertaining throughout. Congratulations to all involved in this brilliant production.

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