Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Theatre Royal, Brighton, Wednesday

IT WAS non-stop laughter, lipstick and lashes for the theatre adaptation of this renowned film as we join a trio of two drag queens and a transgender woman on a road trip across the Australian outback.

The story revolves around the lead, Tick, who finally embarks upon a journey to meet his six-year-old son, all aboard dishevelled bus “Priscilla” with regular pit stops and encounters along the way.

Starting on a high – with an audience who were clearly in the right mood before the curtain even came up –this show never lets up, with constant energy and hit after hit of cheesy dancefloor classics.

The packed Theatre Royal was smiling, clapping and dancing throughout as this fabulous show dazzled from start to finish.

We had lip-syncing perfection in all the right places and costumes larger than life. Touring productions sometimes minimise elements of the set and strip back on costumes (no pun intended) but nothing was spared here, and we were treated to all the production values you’d expect from the West End.

Felicia Heart Out played by Nick Hayes (Orson from Hollyoaks) stole the show with his comedy timing and heaps of sass.

Bernadette (Miles Western) brought the class, and Tick – and his alter ego, Mitzi – played by Strictly 2017 winner Joe McFadden brought the heart.

All three actors perfectly portrayed their characters and you find yourself routing for them all.

At its core this is a feel-good tale of being unashamedly who you are.

Laugh-out-loud moments were interspersed with heart-warming scenes of acceptance, and a serious undertone of the bigotry which is faced every day.

If you’re into sequins, feathers, witty one-liners, fighting homophobia, fantastic vocal performances and... tight packages, then this is a musical you cannot miss.

Collette Orwell