Review: Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Musical: Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Venue: Palace Theatre, London, UK

Date: 29^th December 2011 at 14:30

Cast: Don Gallagher (Bernadette), Richard Grieve (Tick/Mitzi), Oliver Thornton (Adam/Felicia), Ray Meagher (Bob), Amelia Cormack (Diva), Charlotte Riby (Diva), Lucinda Shaw (Diva), Newley Aucutt (Miss Understanding), Selina Chilton (Marion), Steven Cleverley (Farrah/Young Bernadette), Liz Ewing (Shirley), Kanako Nakano (Cynthia) and Connor McGwyre (Benjamin)

Rating: ***

Review:

I’ve never really wanted to see Priscilla but since the show would be closing on New Year’s Eve, I decided to check it out (on what was probably my last trip to London for a long time) for I may not be able to see it again. The tickets to the show weren’t available at tkts so I went over to the Palace Theatre and got myself a £46 ticket in the last row of the upper circle. I was quite worried about the view from where I would sit but it turned out quite all right. I had my binoculars with me so I had no problem seeing the actors and the views weren’t restricted at all.

The iconic high-heel in the front of the Palace Theatre

Overall, I wasn’t really blown away by the show at all. I think Priscilla has so much more potential and there were many points that could be developed into at least a better musical. There were quite a few outstanding musical moments in the show, I admit. I quite enjoyed “Downtown” “Go West” “Colour My World” and “We Belong”. But the book that the held the show together just simply wasn’t strong enough, quite thin actually. The show seemed to try to address various interesting points regarding gay people and how they were perceived by others but just didn’t quite make it in the end. It reminded me of We Will Rock You where the show was trying to get the plot across but ultimately was overshadowed by the music. However, the music in Priscilla wasn’t anywhere near as strong as its fellow jukebox musicals, i.e. We Will Rock You, Mamma Mia! or Jersey Boys. 

"Go west..."

You would think it would be easy to compile loads of disco music to make an enjoyable evening, I did too. Looking at the song list, I thought it would at least have been a fun musical to go to but it turned out, for me, that I was bored and annoyed with the music (“Pop Muzik”, anyone?) and the spectacles that was put in front of me was at times irrelevant and could have been more glamourous. “I Will Survive,” which supposed to be a big act one finale, fell flat for me having it followed such a colourful number like “Colour My World”. Many other disco numbers in the show was long, irrelevant and boring to me. It was in the more dramatic moment of the show that I was moved by the music and the story such as during “Both Sides Now” when the three friends faced a harsh realization or during the father/son duet of “Always on My Mind” and “I Say a Little Prayer”. 

Richard Grieve as Tick with his son Benjamin
during Always on My Mind/I Say a Little Prayer

Though the disco ball during the overture was a nice touch, the production design of the whole show was below what I expected. The curtain before the show was one of the worst I’ve seen. The scene in Sydney looked uninspired and boring and the Ayres Rock at the end just didn’t do it for me AT ALL. The red-floored stage looked old and there was pretty much nothing but the little turntable and the Priscilla bus. I know that the bus could do loads of tricks by which I was very impressed, but come on, there needs to be more than just a bus on the stage, don’t you think? Though I must admit that I quite like the gigantic high heels on the roof of the bus and it was a good comedic relief and I also like how they did the show in Alice Spring.

Very disappointing before-show curtain

The costume received high praise from the critics and received many awards and I did find them to be creatively designed and serve the purpose of the show well.  But costume alone couldn’t save the show, I guess.

"Someone left the cake out in the rain..."
MacArthur Park

The cast was great for the most part. Richard Grieve led the team as Tick, a drag queen in Sydney who accepted a gig in a casino in Alice Springs in order to see his son whom he has never seen in years. He was quite good from the very first moment he was onstage and his singing and acting was very impressive. Don Gallagher played a good Bernadette, an aging transsexual, and he resembled Tony Sheldon (original Bernadette in Australia, London and Broadway) a lot but his singing was a bit wobbly at times. Oliver Thornton was a real star of the show as the confident young drag queen Adam, AKA Felicia Jollygoodfellow. He totally stole the show from the first moment he flew down singing “Venus” to how he christened the bus in “Go West” and from his iconic lip-syncing of La Traviata on the high-heel to his very last showstopping “Kylie Classics” Medley which received thunderous applause and cheers from the audience including me. I heard a lot about him and he didn’t disappoint at all. 

Oliver Thornton (as Adam/Felicia), Richard Grieve (as Tick/Mitzi)
and Don Gallagher (as Bernadette) inside the Priscilla Bus

Another iconic moment in the show with Felicia (starring Oliver Thornton)

Amelia Cormack, Charlotte Riby and Lucinda Shaw played the three divas wonderfully. Their voices were amazing and how they used the divas when the drag queens were lip-syncing was very clever, I think, and I just love “I’ve Never Been to Me” so much. The rest of the cast was fine and they seemed to be having a great time on that stage, though some annoyed me quite a bit. Connor McGwyre was adorable as Benjamin.

The Divas dangling from the top of the stage, impressive!
(Broadway cast)

Though I was partly entertained, I have no doubt now why the show is closing and it didn’t do so well at last year Tony Awards (though I thought Nick Adam should have been nominated with what was such a scene-stealing role). The show obviously suffered from the thin book and lack of creative production design and relied too much on the music, the costume and the bus. The show is now closed in London but I have a feeling that it would embark on a UK tour very soon and it is still going strong on Broadway. Would I recommend this show? Well, despite my complaints, it is still an entertaining show that would make an all-right night out but probably not for those looking for sophisticated entertainment. 

"I love the nightlife.. I got the boogie.."
seen here with original West End cast: Oliver Thornton, Tony Sheldon and Jason Donovan

"Forever and ever, you stay in my heart and I will love you..."

Felicia in high heel?

"I've got all my love to give and I will survive..."

"A fine romance..."
seen here with Kanako Nakano (as Cynthia), Ray Meagher (as Bob)
and Don Gallagher (as Bernadette)

"We belong to the light, we belong to the thunder..."
seen here with original West End cast: Jason Donovan, Tony Sheldon
and Oliver Thornton at the end of the show

The cast in the "Finally" medley
which was a bit below my expectation

The curtain call as seen from my seat
(from left) Oliver Thornton, Don Gallagher and Richard Grieve
with the colourful Priscilla Bus at the back

It is always sad to see a show close but maybe it’s inevitable (except for Phantom and Les Mis) and it is also a chance for us audience to open ourselves to new shows. Palace Theatre will soon be a new home of another highly anticipated show of the year, Singing in the Rain. 

A clip of the final West End cast performing "Go West"
on the Alan Titchmarsh Show

MUSICAL NUMBERS

ACT ONE

Overture... Orchestra

Downtown... Divas

I've Never Been to Me... Mitzi and Divas

What's Love Got to Do with It?... Miss Understanding

I Say a Little Prayer... Tick 

Don't Leave Me This Way... Bernadette, Tick and Company

Venus... Felicia and Boys

Go West... Adam, Tick, Bernadette and Company

I Say a Little Prayer (Reprise)... Tick and Divas

I Love the Nightlife... Shirley, Bernadette, Mitzi, Felicia and Company

Both Sides Now... Bernadette, Tick and Adam

Follie! Delirio Vano è Questo! Sempre Libera... Felicia and Divas

Colour My World... Adam, Tick, Bernadette and Company

I Will Survive... Bernadette, Adam, Tick, Divas, Jimmy and Company

ACT TWO

Thank God, I'm a Country Boy... Company

A Fine Romance... Young Bernadette and Les Girls

Thank God, I'm a Country Boy (Reprise)... Company

Shake Your Groove Thing... Mitzi, Bernadette, Felicia and Divas

Pop Muzik... Cynthia and Company

A Fine Romance (Reprise)... Bob

Girls Just Want to Have Fun... Divas and Adam

Hot Stuff... Felicia, Divas and Bernadette

MacArthur Park... Bernadette, Tick, Adam and Company

Boogie Wonderland... Marion and Company

The Morning After... Mitzi, Bernadette, Felicia and Divas

Come into My World... Adam

Always on My Mind/I Say a Little Prayer... Tick and Benjamin

Kylie Medley... Felicia

We Belong... Mitzi, Bernadette and Felicia

Finally Medley... Company