Priscilla Queen of the Desert at Nottingham Theatre Royal Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Sue Rumble
I was excited to see this musical as I have heard many great things about the show. I have never seen the film which the show is based on so couldn’t wait to find out for myself what it’s all about.
The theatre and concert hall is located in the heart of Nottingham, easily accessible by train, tram and bus and close to a number of city centre car parks. There are several bars & cafés for pre show food and drinks and refreshments at the interval.
The price range of tickets, in my opinion, is extremely good value for money given the quality and length of performance. Prices are dependent on performance day and time and also where you decide to sit.
Based on the film from 25 years ago this musical tells the story of three drag queen friends who decide to travel across Australia to put on an unforgettable show. They all have different reasons to travel and have a few unforgettable moments on their journey.
This high paced show started as it meant to go on with the opening number ‘It’s raining Men’ blasting out by the three divas – this got the audience immediately wanting to join in singing. This scene was based in a bar with several acts including drag artists. Following a phone call from his wife from 9 years ago Tick/Mitzi played by Kevin Clifton (Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer) who was a little dissatisfied with his lot, decided to get some friends together and travel across Australia to Alice Springs to put on a show in the casino run by his wife.
He asked Bernadette – a trans lady, played by Adele Anderson. She had just lost her husband and in her younger years used to be on stage as one of the first drag artists. The third member of the group was Felicia/Adam, played by Nick Hayes who had always had a dream of singing and dancing in the outback. They bought an old school bus which they named Priscilla Queen of the Desert and began their road trip across the country.
This funny, heartwarming story had many highs and lows as they stopped off in some remote towns where the locals weren’t always so keen on the drag scene which got them into trouble. The bus broke down in the middle of nowhere and somehow, they managed to get hold of a mechanic called Bob played by Peter Duncan to fix it. He ended up travelling with them and becoming a love interest to Bernadette.
The show was nonstop disco hits including ‘I Will Survive’, ‘Go West’, ‘Hot Stuff’ and ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’ leaving the audience buzzing throughout. There were also some more emotional songs including ‘True Colours’ which was sung when Felicia was feeling down about herself.
Another touching moment when Tick finally meets his son after 9 years. Benji – his son played by Harper Etiene, wanted his dad to sing Elvis to him. They ended up singing ‘Always on My Mind’ together – a touching scene. The continuous songs made it a fun packed, lively performance with the audience singing along to these well known hits.
The choreography (Matt Cole) was truly amazing and the whole cast were brilliant dancers – they didn’t seem to stop dancing for the whole show. It certainly got the audience dancing along in their seats. The costumes were fantastic, wild and sometimes outrageous – just what you would expect from a drag show. They were designed by Vicky Gill.
I must say a huge congratulations to the director – Ian Talbot, for a vibrant, funny but also heartwarming show.
The cast were all amazing – such brilliant voices from the three Divas – Leah Vassell, Bernadette Bangura and Jessie May who sang every song like the original versions. Great voices also from Tick and Felicia. – who knew Kevin Clifton could sing like that!
Wow, wow wow – this show was absolutely brilliant, full of humour, lots of dancing and singing and a lovely story line of being yourself – everything needed to make a great musical. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a fun packed show. Congratulations to the production team, choreographers and musical directors for putting together a show that keeps you smiling all the way through and on your way home.
Performances – Tuesday 28th April to Saturday 2nd May 2026
Price of Tickets – £22.50 to £57.00
Running Time – 2 hrs 25 minutes including an interval
Rating: 5.5/5
Buy tickets – trch.boxoffice@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
Website – www.trch.co.uk
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall
Theatre Square, Nottingham. NG1 5ND
Tel : 0115 989 5555
https://www.trch.co.uk/whats-on/priscilla-queen-of-the-desert-trlc