Review: Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Wales Millennium Centre

WANT to brighten up a miserable, dark January night?

Then get along to Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff and book a ticket for Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the musical.

You will leave the theatre with a big smile on your face having been entertained for a couple of hours with a show that is outrageous, provocative, funny and heartwarming all at the same time.

It is just sheer fun with a few sad bits and you can't help but fall in love with the main drag queen trio played by Jason Donovan,Richard Grieve and Graham Weaver.

No doubt many of you will have seen the 1994 film starring Terence Stamp and Hugo Weaving but which didn't have the music.

The basic story is of a gay man, Tick, played by the wonderful Jason Donovan, who is married with a child and performs as a drag queen when his life quite frankly becomes a bit of a drag.

So he takes up his wife's offer to perform in her casino although it involves a six day trek across the Australian outback in a bus nicknamed Priscilla.

On the journey Tick's two drag queen cohorts discover he has a wife and son which is the most outrageous thing it seems a supposedly gay man can admit to.

But they stick together, travelling across the desert fighting the locals, falling in love and trying to stay safe.

Brought out of drag queen retirement is Bernadette, played by Richard Grieve, who will be easily recognised as Sam Kratz in Australian tv soap Neighbours.

Adam/Felicia, the young pup out to upstage Bernadette with bitchy comments but who deep down just wants to be loved is played by Graham Weaver who is brilliant in this role.

The costumes are outrageous, the dancing provocative and funny and the music is just fantastic from the in your face opening It's Raining Men, to Go West, I Love the Nightlife, I Will Survie and many more.

The all-singing,all dancing cast also include the Divas played by Emma Kingston, Ellie Leah and Laura Mansell with the talented Alan Hunter playing Miss Understanding including his over the top Tina Turner impersonation while singing What's Love Got To Do With It?

When the bus breaks down hero of the hour is the lovely Giles Watling who plays Bob who ends up falling for Bernadette!

A well deserved standing ovation nearly brought the house down on the opening night and many of the audience had seen the show before. You could easily go several times and see something new each time.

It really is a feel good, fabulous night out.

The show runs until January 18, call the box office on 02920 636464 or check out wmc.org.uk

Gina Robertson