Priscilla Queen of the Desert – The Musical

June 12th 2009

Well, on my second (paying) visit – see review of the first below – I was in pole position in the front row of the Dress Circle, the actors had settled into their roles and technical hitches were banished. Though it still doesn’t have the charm or poignancy of the film, it’s certainly a spectacle. The bus and the costumes alone are worth the ticket price.

It’s clearly become a party destination – girls and gays night out – which creates a great atmosphere, but at the expense of good sound; with the volume turned up to the point of muddiness. The cheers greeting the Thai bride’s entrance suggest a significant chunk of the audience have been before and know what’s coming, confirming the party destination theory.

Go for a welcome break from relentless news about the credit crunch and MP’s on the make, don’t set your theatrical expectations too high and you’ll have a ball.

March 26th 2009

I can’t wait to see this again – mostly because, as a mere investor in the show, my seat was restricted view & restricted legroom. Part of me is glad they give the best seats to ‘the celebs’ because that generates publicity which sells tickets which hopefully means my capital is returned and I make a profit…..but part of me resents it!

Anyway, based on what I did see (in the second half we stood at the back as it was better!) it’s spectacular, brash, colourful, funny, vulgar (in a nice way!) and a complete tonic in these depressing times. I’ve never seen costumes like it, and probably won’t ever again – all 320 of them! The bus is sensational. Tony Sheldon, from the original Australian cast, is superb. I thought Oliver Thornton camped it up a bit too much, as straight men have a habit of doing when they play gay. Jason Donovan seems uncomfortable and has yet to settle into the role.

The concentration on visual spectacle means it loses out in the story department and I wouldn’t put it in the Billy Elliott / Hairspray league, but if you take it on its own terms, you can’t help but be swept away on a tide of euphoria. The closest match is Mamma Mia and that can’t be bad. Go for spectacle and laughs and you’ll certainly get them - and on this occasion, you can see where every pound of the budget went!