Kevin Clifton, Adele Anderson and Nick Hayes have been cast in the new touring production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical. Picture: Matt Crockett
Kevin Clifton, Nick Hayes and Peter Duncan will join the hit touring production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical when it takes to the road again early next year.
They will join the previously announced Fascinating Aïda’s Adèle Anderson (Doctor Doolittle, UK tour, Follies, Landor Theatre) for the tour which is due to visit theatres across the UK and Ireland from 19 February until 18 July 2026 before playing a series of international dates.
Award-winning cabaret star Anderson will take on the role of Bernadette alongside Clifton (The Wedding Singer, Troubadour Wembley Park, Singin’ in the Rain, Sadler’s Wells/UK tour) as Tick/Mitzi, Hayes (Groundhog Day, The Old Vic) as Felicia/Adam and Duncan (Hairspray!, UK tour, Barnum, UK tour) as Bob/Preacher.
Looking forward to the tour, former Strictly Come Dancing champion, Clifton said: “I’ve always loved Priscilla Queen of the Desert – it’s bold, joyful and unapologetically full of heart. Taking on the role of Tick/Mitzi feels like the perfect challenge because it’s not just about the glitz and glamour, it’s about identity, family and love in all its forms. What drew me in was the chance to tell a story that celebrates being true to yourself, no matter what the world thinks. And let’s be honest – who wouldn’t want to perform in those incredible costumes with that soundtrack? It’s pure joy from start to finish.”
The cast will also include Dakota Starr (Priscilla The Party at Outernet, Fisherman’s Friends The Musical, UK and international tour) as alternate Bernadette, Leah Vassell as Diva 1 (Oliver!, West End, Kinky Boots, Storyhouse Chester), Bernadette Bangura as Diva 2 (Moulin Rouge, West End, Hairspray, UK tour), Jessie May (Mamma Mia!, Prince of Wales Theatre, West End/international tour) as Diva 3 and Shirley, Gary Lee (Ghost; UK tour) as Miss Understanding, Billie Hardy (The Time Traveller’s Wife, Apollo Theatre) as Marion, Isabella Glanzing Santos (Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane) as Cynthia, Sario Solomon (If/Then, Savoy Theatre) as Jimmy, Jak Allen-Anderson (Pippin, Theatre Royal Dury Lane) as Farrah/Young Bernadette and Alexander Emery (Come Fall in Love, Manchester Opera House) as Frank. The ensemble cast is completed by Michael Afemaré, Tia Antoine-Charles, Olivia Bella, Alexander Gage, Fionan O’Carroll, Nathan Ryles, Samuel Stokes and Mary Suarez.
BAFTA-winning costume designer Vicky Gill, known for her work on Strictly Come Dancing, is making her musical theatre design debut on the production, leading a team that has designed and created over 100 costumes.
Commenting on her involvement in the production, Gill said: “It is an absolute pleasure to be the costume designer for this vibrant and iconic show. I was completing a course in fashion when the film came out and I remember how much it filled us all with such a sense of freedom and joy. In live theatre, every sequin, feather, stitch and silhouette helps tell the story in real time, right before the audience’s eyes. Bringing this glamorous and fabulous world to life through costume is a dream come true and an incredibly rewarding challenge.”
Presented by Mark Goucher, Gavin Kalin and Matthew Gale, the musical is directed by Ian Talbot with choreography by Olivier Award winner Matt Cole with set and lighting design by Andrew Exeter and casting by David Grindrod.
The creative team also includes Sam Holmes (associate director), Ben Harrison (sound designer), Leo Flint (video designer), Craig Forrest-Thomas (hair and make-up designer) and David Grindrod for Grindrod Burton Casting.
The confirmed UK and Ireland dates are: Palace Theatre, Manchester (19-28 February 2026), King’s Theatre, Glasgow (2-7 March), Liverpool Empire (9-14 March), Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (16-21 March), Birmingham Hippodrome (23-28 March), Norwich Theatre Royal (30 March to 4 April), Theatre Royal, Newcastle (6-11 April), Edinburgh Playhouse (14-18 April), Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff (20-25 April), Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham (28 April to 2 May), Aylesbury Theatre (4-9 May), New Victoria, Woking (11-16 May), The Marlowe, Canterbury (25-30 May), Grand Opera House, Belfast (1-6 June), Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin (8-13 June), Theatre Royal, Brighton (16-20 June), Curve Theatre, Leicester (22-27 June), Alhambra Theatre, Bradford (6-11 July) and Hall for Cornwall, Truro (14-18 July).
Based on the cult 1994 film, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the musical version has a book by the film’s writer and director Stephan Elliot and Allan Scott. The show was developed for the stage by Simon Phillips with musical arrangements by Stephen ‘Spud’ Murphy and orchestrations by Murphy and Charlie Hull.
Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical debuted in Sydney in 2006 before arriving in London in 2009 with Jason Donovan starring alongside Tony Sheldon and Oliver Thornton.
Angela Thomas
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