Review Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical, Palace Theatre Manchester
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical has arrived in Manchester and we were kindly invited along to the press night for a review.
We asked one of our Dad On The Go Reviewers, Kevin, to check out this well-loved musical and you can read on for what he thought.
Having not been even close to a theatre in almost two years, you can imagine how excited we were to hear that PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT – THE MUSICAL was coming to The Palace Theatre Manchester!
Telling the story of three friends who get together to travel into the depths of the Australian desert to put on a fabulously camp drag show in sleepy Alice Springs. The journey from Sydney is far from straightforward as they board their iconic bus, Priscilla, running into a variety of characters on the way to their final fabulous destination.
The musicals tagline urged us to ‘Pack up your wigs, heels and all the glitter you can find’ as the UK and Ireland tour had arrived in Manchester. For our first theatre visit this side of the pandemic we were certainly ready for an evening of singalong pop classics, stunning dance routines and of course those enviable wardrobes! We weren’t disappointed – from start to end the show was packed with all of this and so much more.
As we took the stroll down Oxford Street to the iconic Palace Theatre we were understandably weary of how a night at the theatre would be in 2021. Reassuringly, vaccination statuses were being checked on the door and we were quickly shown into the cosy theatre foyer before taking our seats in the stalls. The excitement and anticipation could be felt in the air, as the curtain went up…
The three main characters were truly brought to life by the inspired casting of Miles Western as Bernadette, Nick Hayes as Felicia and Edwin Ray as Tick. Seeing each actor putting their own mark on their character really did make this show something special as we were taken on the musical journey of emotions from heart-warming relationships to heart-breaking homophobia.
The array of costumes and outfits on the stage throughout the evening exceeded all expectations and extended beyond all the key characters to the wonderful ensemble. From crazy wigs to the highest heels and from the hugest headdresses to the tightest gold hot-pants, the wardrobe department had pulled out all the stops to make the stage explode with glitz and glamour.
A special mention has to go to the ‘Divas’ Rosie Glossop, Claudia Kariuki and Aiesha Pease who looked absolutely stunning as they took to the stage to amaze us all with their breath-taking vocals. Every note was beautifully timed and hit and their interaction with the other characters was seamless and brought the entire company together for the spectacular stage show that is Priscilla!
It’s unusual to go to a production where you will know all the songs. Priscilla is packed from start to finish with all the hit songs you’re sure to love; It’s Raining Men, I Will Survive and Go West are just a few of the favourites belting out from the Palace Theatre’s orchestra pit and filling the theatre with joy and feel-good vibes. These tunes paired with the show-stopping choreography really did make for a tremendous spectacular on stage.
The injections of comedy throughout the show had the audience laughing out loud and crying tears of joy. The adult themes and language mean that this is not a family show but a truly fabulous choice for a friends night out to transport you to a faraway place.
As you can tell, we thoroughly loved this production and cannot recommend it highly enough. As our lives begin getting back to normal, Priscilla Queen of The Desert is a scintillating and dazzling way to get yourself back in the mood for going ‘Out Out’!
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