Review: Ray Meagher’s return to Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical @ the Palace theatre
Fun, fabulous and fancy free! Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical, the story of two drag queens, one transsexual and their adventure from Sydney to Alice Springs on a tour bus named Priscilla, is a show not to be missed.
The show encompasses quick wit and a fierce tongue from the most outrageous of characters, coupled with the touching story of a father meeting his son for the first time. Intertwined with dazzling dance numbers, this musical will leave you unable to sit still.
With a superbly talented ensemble cast including Oliver Thornton, Don Gallagher, Richard Grieve and the return of Ray Meagher – whom I was lucky enough to meet in a Q & A session after the show – Priscilla is not likely to run out of fuel any time soon.
The costumes sparkle, the make-up is colourful and dripping with glamour, and the hair and heels that complete the get-up that one would expect to see in a show of this nature are second to none. Particular praise has to go to the male cast members for their poise and grace whilst dancing in killer heels. As well as the expected glitz and glam of the costumes, the wardrobe team have some well-oiled tricks up their feather boas to keep the audience on their toes and Priscilla is undoubtedly filled with glorious surprises throughout.
The slick mechanics of the lighting, sound and set enhance the production as a whole enabling an entirely over the top musical to have real integrity and depth, while the flying divas are a particular delight with outstanding harmonies and gorgeous vocals. This fabulous bold production will bring out your feminine side and, whether you label it a guilty pleasure or not, you’d struggle not to love it.
In the words of Ray Meagher: “Look, the first time round it was fantastic – amazing cast and crew, wonderful production… I’m here for a second time because of how much I loved it the first time, this time round it’s every bit as good as it was the first.”
Priscilla closes on New Year’s Eve with the intention to ‘Go out with a Bang!’ I have no doubt that is exactly what they will do, leaving behind only a cloud of lipstick, glitter and some very big heels to fill.
Lauren Elphick TheatreFix Reviewer
Posted: October 12th, 2011 under Lauren's Lead, Musical Reviews, TheatreFix.