⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
While the news cycle and political climate are awash with intolerance and hatred, this latest tour of Priscilla is the perfect escape for those looking to avoid the negativity.
This uplifting tale of friendship and acceptance follows drag artist Tick (Kevin Clifton) on a journey from the safety of liberal Sydney to the back and beyond of Alice Springs, where attitudes haven’t yet caught up with modern thinking.
This latest adaptation of the three-decade-old film of the same name is timely in its revival. While acceptance seems in short supply these days, Priscilla confirms that a little disco goes a long way – and a lot of disco goes even further.
A bit dusty in some of its references yet refreshing in others, this production is a little rough around the edges. But a bit like life, Priscilla’s imperfections – however unintended – remind us of the imperfections and complications of being human.
So Tick, joined by two fellow performers – fellow drag queen Felecia (Nick Hayes) and Bernadette (Adele Anderson), a trans woman – travel across the country in their not-so-trusty rusty old bus, christened Priscilla – Queen of the Desert.
The storyline is simple, yet the journey is joyful. Infectious in its positivity, with a killer soundtrack and larger-than-life costumes – Priscilla knows how to party. Visually, it’s not the biggest production to grace the King’s Theatre stage – but it probably is the most brash. Jak Allen Anderson, in particular, bursts from the ensemble and is rewarded with emphatic applause as the curtain falls.
At the very heart of this story, Adele Anderson is a revelation as Bernadette. The first trans woman to play Bernadette professionally, she brings a sharp tongue and a touch of class to the anchor of much of the drama.
It’s impossible not to be moved by the journey the three protagonists go on. Their coming together, through unconventional circumstances, is a story for our time.
On only its second stop of its UK tour, the production isn’t quite as polished as it will be – but you’re assured of a disco-fuelled evening that has every seat in the King’s vacant by its glorious curtain call.
Priscilla Queen of the Desert at King’s Theatre, Glasgow until 7th March 2026
Photo credit: Johan Persson
