ArtsEd is all ready for Priscilla Queen of the Desert, which opens in The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Theatre on Friday 2 February and runs until Saturday 10 February – more details here
The story: Drag queens Tick and Adam, and a trans woman, Bernadette, go on a road trip through the Australian outback when Tick's estranged wife calls in a favour. Their unreliable tour bus, Priscilla, takes them on a voyage of discovery – encountering redneck homophobia, new love and self-acceptance on the way to giving the performance of their lives. Based on the award-winning 1994 film, Priscilla Queen of the Desert has a contagiously upbeat soundtrack of disco hits.
And the cast can't wait for opening night!
“Working on a production of this scale has been a very thrilling process. It isn't every day that you get to strut around on the stage in heels impersonating Tina Turner. Colin Mayes and P.J. McEvoy, the two designers on the show, have incredible creative images which they are applying to costumes, set and projection. It isn't easy to transform a cast of young adults into a whole array of crayons, paintbrushes and rollers but they are doing a fantastic job. Priscilla Queen of the Desert is a massive feel-good show which carries a strong message of acceptance and love; topics which are very relevant to the world we live in today. I am extremely excited to be able to go out and share this heart-warming story to a new audience each night.”
Harry Winchester (Miss Understanding)
“Being part of such an extravagant musical has been a dream to be in. Priscilla Queen of the Desert shares a very important and relevant message to all people and it has been an honour to be able to express all the different topics the show covers, from friendship, parental love, acceptance and LGBT community. The role of Cynthia is not only a comical character which I’ve LOVED portraying every second, it also illustrates a message to always be true to yourself and carry on doing what you love. To be given this opportunity has been a real blessing and I will be forever grateful for all the life lessons I have learnt throughout this process.”
Jessica Lee (Cynthia)
“Working on Priscilla has been an absolute dream for me creatively. The show has an incredible soundtrack and a hilarious book, so the rehearsal process has been masses of fun. Really loving the music and knowing how much I'm going to laugh makes it such a joy to go to rehearsals!
The show also has a really moving storyline with some very complex characters and it's been a great pleasure to delve into what the heart of the story is really about. I am playing Tick, a drag queen who struggles with anxiety and fear of a world that seems to not accept him as he travels across Australia to meet his son. Tick has been a real challenge for me as there are many facets to his character and the role demands a great deal of emotional range. I've absolutely loved rising to these challenges and working with the creatives to really get to know this character.
Overall the show is a non-stop barrage of energy, jokes and great music, with a truly moving story of love, parenthood and acceptance. I'd encourage everyone to come and see this glorious show performed by such a wonderfully talented cast!”
Ben Tyler (Tick/Mitzi)
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