Priscilla: Queen of the Desert

Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday

**** “a sunshine spectacle for all”

The bus is back on the road to celebrate its 30^th anniversary. And the return is a welcome one. The original sparkle and spirit lives on and the fun was overflowing last night at The Hippodrome. It’s a road story like no other, based on the hugely popular and groundbreaking film of 1994. Two drag queens and their transgender friend head off across the outback to honour a cabaret booking in Alice Springs, which at the same time will allow Tick one of the drag artistes to reunite with his son.

There is more than a dash of sharp humour and acidity shared between the lead characters, and the rapport between them is key to the success of the show. Bernadette, Tick, and Adam are the trio, beautifully created by Adele Anderson, Kevin Clifton, and Nick Hayes. The energy, the vocals and of course the dance numbers are all superb. Some well-known floor fillers are belted out with a big blast of gusto.

The costumes are eye catching, the set is relatively straightforward but does the business, largely down to Priscilla the flexible bus.

The backstories and the flashes of pathos add a touch of surprising depth. But it is the flamboyant feel-good factor that is the big takeaway, a welcome bit of sunshine and spectacle on a breezy night in Birmingham.

David Robinson

David will be talking about the show on Box Office Radio and the article will appear in the forthcoming magazine.