Priscilla Queen of the Desert – Curve Leicester and Touring

Kevin Clifton in Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical at Curve Leicester and Touring. Picture: Johan Persson

Priscilla Queen of the Desert was reviewed at Curve Leicester where it continues until 27 June 2026. The tour continues until 18 July 2026.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Thirty years after Stephan Elliott’s cult Australian film first burst onto cinema screens in a riot of sequins and sass, Priscilla Queen of the Desert continues to prove that its message of acceptance, friendship and self-discovery remains as relevant as ever.

Adapted into a stage musical in 2006 which mixed Elliott’s script with a catalogue of camp disco classics, the show has enjoyed successful runs in the West End, Broadway and previous tours.  The queens are donning their frocks on the road again, with the latest UK tour entering its final leg and arriving this week at Curve Leicester with plenty of glitter in its luggage and an infectious determination to get audiences on their feet.

The story follows three performers travelling across the Australian Outback aboard a battered old bus that gives the show its title. Tick (Kevin Clifton), who performs as Mitzi Mitosis, accepts a cabaret engagement far from Sydney in order to build a relationship with his estranged son, and persuades friends Bernadette (Adèle Anderson) and Felicia (Nick Hayes) to join him on the journey. As the trio encounter both kindness and prejudice along the way, the road trip becomes an exploration of identity, belonging and chosen family, all soundtracked to a stacked roster of dancefloor fillers.

Priscilla sets out with one intention, to give audiences a great time and put smiles on their faces, which it does in spades. It adapts a film which already stands brilliantly on its own stilettos and packs it with enough attitude and glamour and pure fabulousness that it’s nearly impossible not to get swept up in the sheer camp joy of it all.

Importantly, the show avoids reducing its central figures to caricatures, allowing audiences to invest in their personal journeys without sacrificing the comedy that has always been part of Priscilla’s appeal. All of Elliott’s memorably scathing lines from the film remain intact, along with a lot of cutting new ones, and the humour mixes nicely with the underlying sentiment. Being set in the 1990s, the social attitudes of the time are vividly reflected, but these are handled well and the overall humanity of the piece shines through.

The score relies on a vast catalogue of pre-existing hits rather than original songs, with the challenge lying in integrating these numbers into the storytelling rather than simply presenting a lazy concert of greatest hits. While some transitions inevitably feel a little more contrived than others, they’ve mostly been chosen well here, fitting character motivations and story beats rather than relying on clumsy shoehorning.

From Donna Summer’s ‘Hot Stuff’ and Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive’ to Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’, the soundtrack is packed with exuberant disco favourites that keep energy levels consistently high, with the occasional poignant ballad thrown in too which work nicely.

Curve’s spacious stage accommodates the show’s larger-than-life aesthetic with ease, although the production feels less glamorous than previous iterations, with Andrew Exeter’s set and lighting placing the show in more of a ‘shabby chic’ aesthetic than glittering extravagance, supported by video design by Leo Flint.

This actually works in the show’s favour, tying into the narrative of three struggling queens performing in neglected clubs. Vicky Gill’s costumes again are in the same vein, a change from what we’ve seen before, but still featuring enough giant headdresses and sparkling gowns to be worthy of the ‘Priscilla’ name.

The titular bus has been delivered better in previous productions, but is serviceable enough, and the production mostly copes with the lack of automation in a touring production (although some transitions are a little sloppy, particularly in the sped-up club scene in Act II, where the illusion of the sequence of quick-changes is awkwardly clumsy).

Choreography (Matt Cole) is slick and varied, capturing the stylistic essence of drag culture when required, and is performed brilliantly by the ensemble cast. Director Ian Talbot keeps proceedings moving at a brisk pace, ensuring that even when the narrative occasionally slows, another crowd-pleasing musical number is never far away, often boosted by the presence of the excellent trio of Divas (Leah Vassell, Bernadette Bangura and Jessie May) who carry the lion’s share of the vocals and make everything sound effortless.

Clifton delivers a compelling performance as Tick/Mitzi, and hopefully he’s now reached the stage where he’s recognised for his stage work and not just being on Strictly. He has emerged as a fine actor and singer in his recent roles, and continues to do great work here.

Anderson brings dignity, wit and warmth to Bernadette, giving a beautifully judged performance and finding humour in the character’s sharp observations.

Hayes provides much of the production’s anarchic energy as Adam/Felicia, and is magnetic to watch throughout. His fearless commitment to the role generates many of the evening’s biggest laughs, while his powerful stage presence and incredible sense of movement ensure that he steals every scene he’s in. There is a wonderful shared chemistry between the three leading actors and their friendship feels heartwarmingly genuine.

Packed with beloved disco anthems, fierce fabulousness and a cast fully committed to the material, Priscilla offers an evening of escapist entertainment that rarely stops to catch its breath. Joyous, colourful and consistently entertaining, Priscilla Queen of the Desert remains a feel-good musical with plenty of mileage left in the tank.

Rob Bartley