Priscilla Queen of the Desert - UK TOUR Review **** | Robbie's Backstage Bants

This afternoon I had the pleasure of visiting ‘Woking Theatre’ for the touring production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Press Invite).

Priscilla Queen of the Desert is a jukebox musical featuring disco and dance songs from the 80s and 90s. Based on the 1994 film, it follows Tick, Felicia and Bernadette on an adventure through the Australian outback on their way to a casino, where they will put on a brand new drag show.

I had seen a previous UK touring production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert back in 2019 and the immersive Priscilla the Party in London in 2023. The thing that I find this show does so well is provide carefree entertainment. The fun and the frills allow you to leave your worries at the door and step into the colourful world of the musical.

Exploring themes such as homophobia and transphobia, Priscilla Queen of the Desert packs a powerful message of inclusion, which really culminates in the song ‘We Belong’, which ultimately gave me chills.

The songs in this show are perfectly selected and utilised, giving you the 80s disco tunes throughout.

The book for the musical has moments of hilarity and serious drama. There are so many mature jokes and references throughout that will leave you rolling in the aisles, even if some are slow burners! I think the production fell down slightly when it came to diction. Despite the script being a laugh-a-minute hit, some of these moments were lost due to being unable to hear what the performers were saying. No production can be flawless, and this does not take away from the overall quality or experience of the production, it just means you have to really prick up your ears and home in on the fast talking in an Australian accent!

Adele Anderson and Kevin Clifton are the headliners of the production, playing the roles of Bernadette and Tick/Mitzi respectively.

Adele Anderson is a wonderful Bernadette. From classy style to delightful vocals, Anderson brings it all — making the character so easy to love, and thus the audience did.

Kevin Clifton plays Tick/Mitzi Mitosis, a drag performer who not only has a secret wife, but a child too. Tick’s journey surrounds him entering fatherhood for the first time and worrying what his son will think of his career choice. Clifton had buckets of energy and vocal power; I really enjoyed his portrayal of this character, who often could get drowned out by the larger-than-life characters that surround him in the story. Clifton made sure that Tick/Mitzi stayed afloat and was definitely a clear audience favourite.

Covering the role of Adam/Felicia was Fionan O’Carroll, who brought a youthful energy to the stage that captured the spotlight and kept Bernadette and Tick on their toes. O’Carroll’s vocal talent is incredible, matched with their cleverly crafted character choices. This was another standout performance.

These three performers led the show beautifully; I thoroughly enjoyed each of their performances.

Leah Vassell, Bernadette Bangura and Jessie May play the three Divas, who sing a lot of the numbers throughout the show, including the strong opening ‘It’s Raining Men’. Their powerhouse vocals blew me away — it’s always great to hear such strong vocalists in these roles.

The ensemble were a tight bunch of versatile performers, executing Matt Cole’s stunning choreography, perfectly matched to every number and the overall 80s/90s disco style. This truly is a gifted company.

Ian Talbot’s direction makes this story heartier than ever. The emotion feels real and the characters remain human, which really helps the audience connect to the characters and sympathise with them too.

Vicky Gill’s costumes play a huge part in this show. They are huge and colourful — exactly what you would expect, especially for the characters in drag. The ensemble also get a wide range of wacky costumes that catch your eye.

The 30th Anniversary tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert is definitely worth going to see. It’s a camp adventure filled with popular music and characters you can really get behind. It truly is a fabulous night out that you won’t forget. Go and see it! It’s playing in Woking this week until Saturday night (16th), with tickets available here! Before heading on the rest of its tour, more information can be found here.

13th May 2026

Robbie Davies | Robbie's Backstage Bants