A story of love, friendship and a bus named Priscilla…welcome to Priscilla Queen of the Desert! Jason Donovan stars in the adaptation of the Oscar® winning film coming soon to a stage at the Palace Theatre in the West End. Written by Stephan Elliot and Allan Scott and directed by New Zealander Simon Phillips, this heart-warming and uplifting adventure will take you on a fabulously dazzling journey sure to leave a smile on your face. The production opens on the 23rd March 2009, with previews on the 10th March.
Set in Australia, Priscilla Queen of the Desert deals with the adventures of drag queen Tick (Jason Donovan), Bernadette (Tony Sheldon) and Adam (Oliver Thornton), a performance trio who are used to the glamorous sites of Sydney. When they agree to take their show to the middle of the Australian outback to a casino in Alice Springs they end up finding love and friendship whilst also finding much more than the wildest dreams could ever imagine…all onboard a tatty old bus named Priscilla. Along the way they sing classic disco songs Don’t Leave Me This Way, I Will Survive, Finally, I Love The Nightlife, Colour My World and Shake Your Groove Thing whilst all the time wearing outrageous costumes.
“This new musical is a sensational journey to the heart of fabulous”.
Further cast members are yet to be announced and it should be noted that the cast may change before the start date with short notice due to any unforeseen circumstances such as ill-health. The cast as advertised, however, is a great one. Tony Sheldon is a veteran of the original Sydney show, which played in October 2006. The director Simon Phillips is Artistic Director of the Melbourne Theatre Company with a wide array of credits in Australia. He won Helpmann Awards for Best Direction of a Musical for Company (2001) and Spelling Bee (2006).
The film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert has had a lasting impression on the gay community in Australia, regarded as a ‘camp classic’. It is also credited for bringing together the travelling troupe with an Aboriginal tribe, two often socially outcast groups in Australia. As a result, the story has had a large cultural impact. No doubt the new musical will continue its legacy and bring in a whole array of new fans amongst the old adoring community.