Bright and bold; it’s
a real slap in the face musical!
Bursting on stage with drag queens aplenty, Priscilla Queen
of the Desert doesn’t take you on a journey but rather the ride of your life in
a show that flies faster than the speed of light. Brash and garish in style and
colour, this is also a show with real heart and warmth largely to some stellar
performances and strong ensemble work.
The show is a visual treat starting with a bang and plenty
of disco balls, neon rainbows and big hair while the memorable and well-loved
songs keep the show slick and never gives the audience a moments rest.
With the story clearly set from the beginning, you are
immediately immersed in the world of drag queen Australia as we follow Tick,
Bernadette and Adam on board Priscilla trekking to Tick’s most important gig
yet; the chance to finally meet his young son.
It is the moment that he finally meets 6 year old Benji that
really tugs at the heartstrings and provides the show with real depth and
genuine love. A tender scene towards the end of the show when Tick (Darren Day)
reads his son a bedtime story for the first time is a stand out moment and
provides an important gear change.
It is this moment that really justifies Day’s inclusion in
this very strong cast and he demonstrates a real maturity in Act 2 particularly.
At times he seems a touch under rehearsed and unsure of some of the dance
moves, but his strong singing voice is rich enough in tone to whip the female
audience up into a frenzy.
The three Divas are stunning; combining pitch perfect vocals
and flying (no mean feat); they provide some real guts and attitude to the
numbers proving it’s not all about the men! Julie Yammanee enjoys a fierce
cameo as the livewire Cynthia which only endears us further to long-suffering
husband Bob, played faithfully by Philip Childs.
The star of this show is Simon Green as the glamorous and
classy Bernadette. The character is the perfect foil to the zany Adam and Green
portrays her as a real mother figure for her fellow sisters. It’s a poised,
sophisticated performance and everyone acting around him revels in the benefit.
Bernadette is the glue of the trio and Green proves to be the glue of this company
too.
For all of Priscilla’s camp exuberance, this is a high
quality production with a strong and serious message at its core. It’s a story
of acceptance, friendship and for letting go and trying things out and is a
message that transcends time, place and characters. This is not a story about
drag queens and cheesy music; this is a story about love and tolerance. And
Priscilla tells it perfectly with a smile on its face and plenty of sass.
Review by Andy Edmeads
Rating: ★★★★★
