Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Theatre Royal Plymouth Review
Priscilla
Queen of the Desert
Theatre Royal, Plymouth
9-14 May 2016
Reviewed by Linda Curtain
What an enjoyable visit I had last evening to the Theatre Royal in Plymouth for the opening night of the musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert. When you are still singing the songs the next afternoon you can tell it was impressive! With a confection of colour, sequins and classic pop and disco music, Priscilla has dramatically landed in Plymouth!
On arriving at the Theatre Royal you always get an immediate feeling for what the evening has in store and last night was no exception. With theatre goers enjoying drinks in the foyer cafe and bar areas, the whole atmosphere was upbeat with obvious excitement all around as people awaited the start of the show.
We quickly collected our tickets and programme and settled into our seats. As soon as the music started and the glitter balls began turning, we were transported to a wonderland of colour, music and showbiz glamour.
The storyline is very simple with drag queen Tick (played in this production by Darren Day) wanting to return to Alice Springs where his wife lives with his son that he has not met. He persuades a young drag queen named Felicia (played by Adam Bailey) and an older transgender drag queen named Bernadette (played by Simon Green) to join him on his travels and to do a stage show at his wife’s casino when they arrive there. They set off on their journey of discovery and delight to Alice Springs, aboard an old, decorated bus which they name Priscilla.
Based on the 1994 screen film, this story has transferred brilliantly to the stage – it is a totally over-the-top show with 20 dance floor classics to set the party mood. Add to that the 200 costumes, 150 pairs of shoes, 100 wigs and a mountain of mascara and you can tell what an extravaganza it is!!
In traditional drag queen style, some of the songs are done as mime with three divas hovering over the stage in wonderful costumes, belting out the tuneful disco hits. The staging throughout was brilliant as was the singing and expressions of the divas.
When Priscilla breaks down in the desert, a meeting which mechanic Bob (played by Philip Childs) saves the day. The antics of his mail order wife were really amusing and I’m sure everyone will be reminded of the show next time they see a pink ping pong ball!!
Darren Day gave a very convincing performance as Tick and his excellent vocal quality really added to his role. Local boy, James Ferrier, who played the long lost son Benji last evening, was brilliant – certainly no first night nerves! Adam Bailey as the totally spoilt, immature lad Adam with no inhibitions, added much humour to the show, but the star for me last night was Simon Green who played the role of Bernadette with such class and sophistication.
With so many brilliant ensemble scenes it is hard to pick a favourite but the MacArthur Park scene -with the dancers in lime green cupcake costumes – was certainly a highlight of the evening.
At times last night, I felt the music was a bit loud but this certainly did not stop the audience joining in and dancing in the aisles following the well-deserved standing ovation.
Another well produced, enjoyable musical at Plymouth Theatre Royal. Well done to the whole company and a special well done to the back stage crew dealing with all those costume changes!!!
A glittering, over-the-top 5 star rating.
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £15 to £43.50 (booking fees may apply).
Priscilla Queen of the Desert is at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth until 14 May 2016. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 01752 267222.
Theatre Royal Plymouth, Royal Parade, Plymouth, PL1 2TR | 01752 267222
