Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Theatre Royal Brighton Review

Reviewed by Sasha Nye

The Theatre Royal in Brighton is probably one of my favourite theatres to go to. I love how traditional it is, the ambience, the decor. Even with its traditional appearance it fits in really well in the unique and Diverse Brighton. It really puts you in the right mood for whatever show you are going to see. The staff are always very polite, friendly, extremely well presented and on hand to help with any query that you may have. A bonus is that it’s minutes walk from car parks and local transport.

The adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert is an Australian comedy drama originally released in 1994. The film follows two drag queens, a transgender woman, their journey across the Australian outback and all of the people some good and bad that they encounter along the way. The film at the time of release was one of only a few films to portray LGBT individuals to mainstream audiences and it was a worldwide hit. Following on from this in 2006 came the musical ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’ opened.

FAB-U-LOUS!

Thoroughly entertaining, emotive and engaging. A reminder to embrace, accept and love everyone for who they are and encourage them to let their colours shine brightly. The whole production was well thought out. The use of ‘Priscilla’ in lots of different ways was extremely clever. The costumes were extravagant, flamboyant, colourful, beautifully designed and exactly what you would expect if not better. With the very talented musicians that this show and cast had for support the music was absolutely amazing, pure class. Some of the greatest disco hits that guarantee to fill any dance floor were covered. From What’s love got to do with it?, Shake your groove thing, I will survive and, of course, hits from the pop diva herself Kylie Minogue. Alongside the main cast of three were the undeniably talented divas – Rosie Glossop, Claudia Kariuki and Aiesha Pease. These three ladies were phenomenal and could quite easily own any stage they were on.

Usually, I feel that most shows have their leading cast members and then have support around them. But Priscilla Queen of the Desert is in a different league to most musicals. The ensemble that supports the main cast are in their own right – incredible dancers, actors, singers and their versatility was outstanding. Two stand out performances for me were Kevin Yates as Miss Understanding and Jacqui Sanchez who played Cynthia / Ensemble. Jacqui certainly put the ‘ping’ into ping pong. Next, was the three main characters and the men that played them. They all brought something different to their individual roles. Miles Western as Bernadette was elegant, poised and endearing. Joe McFadden played Tick/ Mitzi with sincerity, given his hidden past and then last but not at all least was Nick Hayes portraying Nick / Felicia. Nick was incredible in every scene he was in. One thing that was crystal clear was that these three men had the most incredible vocals when singing together or when doing their own solos… superb! Amazing, Fabulous… a must see!

Rating: 5/5

Tickets cost from £13 (plus £3.65 transaction fee).

Priscilla Queen of the Desert is at the Theatre Royal in Brighton from 17 December 2019 to 4 January 2020, for more information or to book tickets visit www.atgtickets.com/brighton or call the box office on 0844 871 7650.

Theatre Royal, New Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1SD | 0844 871 7650