Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Princess Theatre Torquay Review
Priscilla
Queen of the Desert
Princess Theatre, Torquay
11-16 April 2016
Reviewed by Helen Wyatt
Last night I attended the Princess Theatre in Torquay for the opening night performance of the hit musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
There are a large number of available car parks in the vicinity of the theatre but you should allow plenty of time to park before any show. We noticed a few on street parking spaces near to the theatre, which would be free in the evening, but we chose to park a little further away in the pay and display car park, which cost around £5 for the evening.
The theatre is bright and white, and based on the seafront so boasts great views, in a great area. All areas of the theatre that I visited were clean and well kept.
The theatre has a great atmosphere, and the 2 level bar/cafe is a good place to wait before a show, when you can order a bite to eat. All staff we encountered were polite, friendly and helpful.
Priscilla Queen of the Desert is a big, beautiful, bouncy and very camp show full of love, laughter and crazy costumes! The show centres on 3 transsexuals in different stages of life – young, middle aged, and older. They are persuaded to go on a road trip, across the Australian outback, to perform a show as a triplet. As the programme explains, the show is a study in tolerance and compassion, exploring the hatred, and the significant love, that exists for those who are “different” and dare to be themselves. We follow the 3 performers as they discover things about themselves, both good and bad, and are treated a lot of fun and fabulous showmanship along the way.
Overall – what a fantastic show! It was absolutely awesome from beginning to end! Duncan James (from Blue) brings a little celebrity to the proceedings, and the whole cast were highly professional.
The Australian accents were spot on; so much so that for the most part you could easily forget that the cast were English. The huge number of costume changes were spectacular, and the dancing in heels was highly skilled! Each of the 3 main cast members brought very different approaches to the roles, but it all gelled together superbly for one seamless production that leaves you wanting more. The audience gave a well-deserved standing ovation to the cast at the end.
I would recommend it as a show to see and I would watch it again tomorrow.
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £14 to £42.50 (plus £4 transaction fee).
Priscilla Queen of the Desert is at the Princess Theatre in Torquay until 16 April 2016. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0844 871 3023.
Princess Theatre, Torbay Road, Torquay, TQ2 5EZ | 0844 871 3023
