Picture: Harry Elletson
The Diana Mixtape continues at HERE at Outernet, London until 10 August 2025. The show also plays at The Lowry, Salford from 19-21 August 2025.
Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩
It is interesting to see the Princess Diana story morphing into a modern myth as it is retold and retold by an endlessly fascinated public. The contrast of the Royal family’s incredible power and the commonplace human weaknesses of love and adultery is simply irresistible. Pair this with a central figure who made a visible effort to be a force for good but met a horrific end and you have quite the epic tale.
Do we need this story to be retold in the form of a pop jukebox drag musical? Some may argue it’s perhaps a tiny bit tasteless – these are real people and relatively recent tragedies being portrayed after all – but drag is where good taste goes to die and get resurrected as a damn good night out. Besides, Diana herself was something of an LGBTQIA+ ally who may even have got a kick out of seeing herself portrayed by five (five!) brilliantly talented drag queens in gorgeous outfits.
Creator/director Christopher D Clegg has brought together a dream cast of queens – all RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni – in this pop tribute to “the people’s princess”. Courtney Act, Divina De Campo, Priyanka, Rosé and Kitty Scott-Claus tear through 23 musical numbers featuring songs by Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Chappell Roan, and many more. River Smith’s costume work features beautiful takes on some of Diana’s most iconic looks, and the crowd at Tottenham Court Road’s new HERE at Outernet venue are ready for a dance, a laugh, and a good time from the very first moment.
Disappointingly, there is an air of cheapness that doesn’t line up with either the incredible talent onstage or the price of entry (£50 to stand by the bar at the back, up to £90 for the privilege of a seat). The bright screen featuring Adam Nightingale and Christopher D Clegg’s video design limits what Toby P Darvill can do with his lighting work, and too often queens are left performing in unflattering backlight. Unforgivably, the sound is messy with many mistimed cues, un-amplified punchlines, and whole songs badly mixed to the point we struggle to hear presumably superb vocal performances.
Some song choices are questionable – hopefully Kylie Minogue’s ‘Padam Padam’ was chosen for the Dodi Fayed section for its sexy lyrics and not the Eastern associations of its phrygian mode melody – but the highs are stratospheric. The Greatest Showman star Keala Settle delivers an authoritative ‘Commander’ as Queen Elizabeth II, and both Noel Sullivan and Lucinda Lawrence are frequent show-stealers as Charles and Camilla panto villains.
Priyanka possesses an intense charisma and stage presence that sees her alternately reducing the room to laughter and bringing the house down with a stunning performance of ‘Boss Bitch’ atop a treadmill. Rosé’s remarkable singing voice is given centre stage for numerous ballads, but Courtney Act’s equally gorgeous instrument is comparatively underserved. Still, the Australian’s talent cannot be suppressed and she is a real treat in both comedically and musically whenever she is given a chance to shine.
The two homegrown Dianas do our country proud. Kitty Scott-Claus – possibly the best name in drag, and that’s a very high bar – is hilarious and brings unstoppable energy to Taz Hoesli’s girl-group influenced choreography. Divina De Campo is a theatrical veteran and brings formidable acting gravitas to proceedings. Marry this with her powerful voice that ranges from room-shaking lows to soaring highs and she makes a strong case for becoming a permanent London stage fixture. Bring her sensational Leeds Playhouse Hedwig and the Angry Inch to the West End now please.
With this ingenious pairing of masterful performers and camp pop, it’s a shame that The Diana Mixtape ultimately feels ill-judged. There is a great deal of fun to be found in the script and the songs are all bangers, but the production doesn’t live up to the promise of its premise. Drag has proved itself West End-worthy many times before and it will again, but The Diana Mixtape is a flawed showcase of incredible drag talent. If you don’t mind the entry fee and arrive with a drink and dance mindset, this could be a perfect warm-up to a fun night out. Otherwise, save your ticket money for entry to a great drag club and use the leftover cash to tip generously.
Ian Bowkett
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