Priscilla Queen of the Desert – Bord Gáis Energy Theatre – Review
by Frank L.

PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT
Produced by Marc Goucher Productions
Dates: 8th – 13th June 2026

As in the film, Bernadette (Adele Anderson), Tick (Kevin Clifton) and Felicia (Nick Hayes) are three Sydney drag queens who acquire a bus and set off into the Australian outback to perform their act. Tick is the driving force behind the journey, although the others are initially unaware that he has a ten-year-old son, Benji, who lives with his mother in Alice Springs.

And so these three intensely urban, nocturnal creatures set out in their battered bus, enduring the scorching heat and relentless sun of the Australian outback to reach Alice Springs. In this musical adaptation, their journey is accompanied by a continuous stream of songs performed with dazzling energy by the three Divas (Leah Vassell, Bernadette Bangura and Jessie May), supported by an enthusiastic chorus of singers and dancers.

There is a great deal of splendidly tacky glitz on display, along with a succession of wonderfully over-the-top, Copacabana-style costumes. The three queens exchange a host of deliciously bitchy lines, each delivered with obvious relish. The score is packed with familiar hits, including It’s Raining Men, I Will Survive, and Girls Just Want to Have Fun, to name just three from a catalogue of more than thirty songs. Musical arranger Stephen “Spud” Murphy and director Ian Talbot have done a fine job of moulding this abundance of material into a joyous and entertaining romp.

The production moves at a tremendous pace, leaving little time for reflection. Nevertheless, the developing relationship between Tick and Benji emerges as an emotional thread, complemented by Bernadette’s romance with Bob (Peter Duncan), an outback mechanic. Yet what makes the show such fun is its relentless parade of well-known songs, all delivered with a generous helping of camp humour and exuberance.

The audience, like the queens themselves, simply wanted to have fun. Judging by the applause and the smiles on their faces at the curtain call, that is exactly what they had enjoyed.