PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL To 26 September.
London.
PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL
book By Stephan Elliot and Allan Scott based on the MGM movie.
Palace Theatre To 26 September 2009.
Mon to Sat 7:30pm, Matinees Thu and Sat 2:30pm.
Runs 2hr 45mins One interval.
TICKETS: 0844 755 0016.
Review: Geoff Ambler 25 March.
The Queen of the Desert rolls into town and brings the fun back to The Palace.
Filling the big comedy show hole left by Spamalot’s closure, Priscilla’s bus is now parked at the Palace and has brought with it more antipodean camp musical excesses and pirouetting cup cakes than the average show would dare. Priscilla is one of the most bright and colourful shows around, with what must have been a substantial part of the production budget spent on set design and costumes. And it is worth every Australian Dollar.
The bus’ arrival to 'Go West' is greeted with raucous applause. The vehicle's in danger of becoming star of the show. It's as vivid and colourful as any of the dresses and competes in size with many of the wigs. Indeed if it could sing it would be on a serious wage. Most of the music, however, is delivered by the three magnificent Divas, who float down from the flies from time to time, filling the theatre with the lip-synched numbers performed by Jason Donovan’s Mitzi, Tony Sheldon’s Bernadette and Oliver Thornton’s Felicia, the three female impersonators who take a road trip to Ayres Rock to perform in Mitzi’s wife’s casino.
Donovan’s aging performer Tick, who left his wife and son to take to the stage as a show-girl, is on more than a journey through the desert. Separating himself from his family, Tick had moved to the city so his son would not know about his life choices and while the surface of this story is barely explored, it makes the show more than a high-energy romp bedecked with high heels, implausibly extravagant costumes and feathered headdresses.
Priscilla is a big show in every way, a hedonistic evening of glittering immoderation, without drama, tension or plot getting in the way, but big on fun and with a Kylie medley thrown in. Transferring into the northern hemisphere, at a time when value for money is moving up priority lists, Priscilla boasts ticket prices from £22 up to £95! Let’s hope that the hedonists have fat wallets.
Tick (Mitzi): Jason Donovan.
Bernadette: Tony Sheldon.
Adam (Felicia): Oliver Thornton.
Bob: Clive Carter.
The Divas: Zoe Birkett, Kate Gillespie, Emma Lindars.
Miss Understanding: Wezley Sebastian.
Marion: Amy Field.
Farrah / Young Bernadette: Steven Cleverley.
Shirley: Daniele Coombe.
Jimmy: Tristan Temple.
Cynthia: Kanako Nakano.
Frank: John Brannoch.
Ensemble: Phillip Arran, Matthew Cole, Amy Edwards, Lewis Griffiths, Bob Harms, Mark Inscoe, Zabrina Norry, Will Peaco, John Phoenix, James Rees, Craig Ryder, Jeremy Secomb, Jon Tsouras.
Benjamin: Darius Caple/Gene Goodman/Christopher Miltiadou/Cameron Sayers/Red Walker.
Director: Simon Phillips.
Designer/Bus Concept: Brian Thompson.
Lighting: Nick Schliepe.
Sound: Michael Waters.
Choreographer: Ross Coleman.
Costume: Tim Chappel, Lizzie Gardiner.
2009-03-30 00:56:24