Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Priscilla is based on the cult classic 1994 movie which broke the mould as an intelligent low budget Australian film that embraces LGBTQ+ culture. 

This was a highly entertaining evening with some truly excellent individual performances and great ensemble singing. It was also amazing to see a packed house with everyone enjoying themselves.

The show itself tells the story of two drag queens and a transgender woman on a road trip in a bus called Priscilla. Priscilla herself deserves a mention for the ingenious way the bus revolves for both internal and external scenes.

The drag queens, Ned Smith as Tick/Mitzi and Matthew Armitage as Adam/Felicia were superb. Both sang fantastically and took the audience through every layer of their characterisation. Ned’s scene with his estranged son was beautifully played, whilst Adam gave a sense of gritty realism in an encounter with a homophobic gang in a bar. 

Bernadette is a complex character and much harder to portray. The transgender woman who’s just lost her partner Trumpet, was played with such skill by Neil Broadbent. He strapped up the sequined stilettos of an aging ex-star with such sensitivity and feeling. You believed every single line he delivered. A very difficult job well done.

The audience is bombarded with classic hit after hit, most of which were seamlessly tied together by the three Divas – Fizz Palmer, Keeley Denton and Ellie Stringer who sang and moved beautifully.

As Priscilla trundles her way across Australia we meet some of Australia’s oddest occupants. The pick of the supporting roles were mechanic Bob played effortlessly by Richard Sykes and his wife Cynthia played by Sonya Louise Morris. Sonya was outrageously good with her ping pong balls. Helen Woodhead was hilarious as Shirley, she had the audience howling. Francesca Rosado as Tick’s wife Marion also stood out playing a small but important role with class. A small mention should go to Matt Ogden’s loin cloth which gave the enthusiastic audience a treat.

The set, other than Priscilla, was simple but effective with good use made of the full stage and the scene changes and transitions were faultless so a huge congratulations to Jon Hunt and the stage crew. The lighting and sound were both good throughout which helped to create the atmosphere of the differing locations and ensure every line was heard clearly. 

Apart from giving us the excellent portrayal of Bernadette, Neil Broadbent also directed and produced the show. Neil drew every element out of the story with an exquisite touch. From the high paced dialogue of the excitable Felicity to the touching moments between Tick and Benji, sweetly portrayed by William Broadbent, who were a father and son meeting for the first time, Neil managed to set the mood just right. The blossoming love story of Bernadette and Bob had such heart it was a joy to behold. Neil used the cast to move pieces of set and scenery which kept everything slick and the  pace never slackened.

Musical Director Keira Watson prepared the cast well to deliver song after song. The band sounded fantastic, never overpowering in the main numbers or underscoring. 

Harriet Fisher’s choreography was very effective and vibrant. Dancing in heels isn’t the easiest thing to do so dancing in flippers must have been incredibly tough but Harriet set the numbers perfectly to allow for the huge array of costume changes. Speaking of costumes, they were excellent, from the outrageous dresses of the drag queens to the incredible paint brushes, dragons and disco outfits of the ensemble, they provided a kaleidoscope of colour and extravagance. All the wigs and make up were perfectly made so a huge congratulations to all the team on a big job well done, but special mention must go to the dressers who without them the show would have lost its pace. It must have been frantic in the wings, but it never showed on the stage. 

Congratulations to all at Woodhouse MTC for a highly enjoyable show with some excellent performances which I, my wife and the audience loved. 

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