If there is any cult movie more suited to becoming a disco sing-a-long musical than Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, I can't think of it. The story of a drag queen travelling from Sydney to Alice Springs in a clapped-out camper with a bitchy fellow performer and retired transsexual showgirl is peppered with classic hits already; all that was needed was to work them into the story and add a few dance routines.
That's pretty much what director Stephan Elliot has done. There was the question in my mind of how exactly the tunes were going to be seamlessly integrated and the answer is that many aren't, but it doesn't matter. The anarchic fun that surrounds the whole production allows the audience to quickly forgive the occasionally clunky segues; the mostly excellent casting doesn't hurt either.
At a recent preview performance, they were still having the odd teething trouble, of course. Elliot came out to introduce the show and admit that one cast member "looks like the elephant man" after a bump on the bonce and another would be "one beat behind as he fills in for a dancer who fell on his knee". There actually weren't any noticeable technical difficulties, but admittedly the whole was one degree of polish short of perfection. I expect that will improve from day to day.
Tony Sheldon has clearly long made Bernadette his own, having played her since the musical made its debut in Sydney in 2007. He opts for a light-hearted and giggly take on the character; it's an understandable reworking of the character, given the much frothier tone of the production, but I missed Terence Stamp's more austere elegance.
Nevertheless he is a pleasure to watch, and claims many a belly laugh for his own. Ex-'80s popster Jason Donovan is extremely well suited to the Hugo Weaving role of Tick / Mitzi, staying true to the more subdued character throughout the ensemble pieces and providing the heart of the piece. But it is Oliver Thornton who somehow manages to take the most two dimensional and stereotypical character and run with it, stealing the stage.
I had thought that no-one could improve Felicia / Adam much beyond Guy Pearce's snarky bitch, but Thornton arguably does. This is probably in part because of his alarming physique, honed by years of classical dance training.
The perfectly controlled balletic quality of his movement makes a thoroughly muscular man radiate more elegance than some of the female dancers; it's that which makes him utterly captivating during some of the more show-stopping numbers, including the stunning rooftop shoe routine. He was upstaged only by the three incredible Divas, whose gorgeous voices and stunning presence really held the show together. It was good to see former British Pop Idol contestant Zoe Birkett among them.
Slapstick is strongly in evidence and delightfully indulged in, from road kill jokes to flapping boobs. The entire production is about as subtle as a neon billboard, filled with ridiculously sumptuous costumes, extraordinary garish makeup and some of the silliest footwear since The Spice Girls. But the all-out ridiculousness is also studded with sharply observant performances including a Tina Turner impersonation that veers towards the cruelly accurate.
The production bravely doesn't shy from some of the coarser and more violent episodes of the film, although I felt that the light touch occasionally extended slightly too far, turning one of the most shocking moments of the film into something too flippant. There was also a hint of school play in the finale - Quick! Get everyone on stage! Get the kid in a cute costume! - which was just rescued from cringeworthiness by yet more spectacular costumes and the sheer wealth of talent on the stage.
The evening ended in a standing ovation, largely because the audience came prepared to have a good time. If there's one really major strength to the production it's the degree of audience interaction and the warm rapport that is built up with the spectators; given that it's easy to let go of the minor quibbles and just enjoy the singing, dancing and all round fabulousness.
Priscilla: Queen of the Desert is in previews at the Palace Theatre, Soho, London, and is booking until September 2009.