Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical – Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield

Book: Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott

Director: Ian Talbot

In May 2016, Priscilla parked up in Sheffield – a big, glitzy production starring Duncan James of Blue. Almost exactly 10 years later, the cheapest looking Priscilla to tour the UK has now arrived.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical is a hugely popular musical, based on the film of the same name. It follows three drag queens as they travel through the Australian outback on a journey of self discovery. It also boasts a fabulous score of ’80s bangers including Colour My World, Go West, It’s Raining Men, I Will Survive and so many more.

The current UK tour is directed by Ian Talbot. He has done a good job despite the minimal frills. Where the production lacks in visual spectacle, it wears its heart on its sleeve. It may have been the most emotionally moving production of Priscilla your reviewer has seen, whilst of course still being wonderfully feel good.

Andrew Exeter’s set design is incredibly basic with quite limited playing space. There is a bus (which is more than can be said of the other summer bus trip musical currently playing in Sheffield…) but it doesn’t move very much and Leo Flint’s video design is very arty rather than giving the illusion of travelling a long way. Given Exeter is also the lighting designer, it seems surprising that the bus doesn’t light up which makes the Colour My World ‘transformation’ incredibly underwhelming. Vicky Gill’s costumes are also quite underwhelming. The slightly rough round the edges drag costumes work initially, giving the impression that we’re in a seedy, run down drag club but none of the costumes are particularly impressive.

Where this production really shines is with Matt Cole’s choreography. It is hugely energetic – although often the stage often feels cramped because the set design gives him limited space to fit all his dancers in. The choreography is delivered with great precision, elevated by the fact that the hard-working ensemble look like they’re thoroughly enjoying themselves. Who wouldn’t enjoy performing this collection of bangers every night?!

Headlining the cast is Adele Anderson as Bernadette who, on the whole, is a revelation in this role. Whilst she is clearly not a natural dancer (which stands out even more opposite her co-stars who are phenomenal dancers), she brings a phenomenal level of gravitas and emotional weight to the role that this reviewer has never seen. She brings a warming motherliness to the show. Casting this role authentically is something people have long been calling for and it was certainly the correct decision. The on-stage relationship she builds with Peter Duncan as love interest Bob is lovely. Duncan feels underused given his wealth of experience, but he does a great job with what he’s got.

Strictly Come Dancing star and musical theatre favourite Kevin Clifton takes on the role of Tick/Mitzi. His performance is wonderful. He is instantly likeable and delivers a performance full of heart. Despite being a straight man, he plays this queer role with great depth and authenticity. The conflict between being queer and wanting to be a good father comes across brilliantly in Clifton’s performance. He leads musical numbers with great energy, with a handful of moments to showcase his dance skills.

Nick Hayes completes the leading trio as Felicia/Adam, having previously played the role on the 2022-22 tour. Whilst sometimes the role can be camped up to the max, Hayes doesn’t do this which makes his performance a bit more believable. He has great comic timing, building strong rapports with Clifton and Anderson.

The supporting cast also boasts plenty of talent. Divas Leah Vassell, Bernadette Bangura and Jessie May deliver powerhouse vocals throughout the show. Bangura particularly shines with great stage presence – she is so engaging to watch. Isabella Glanznig Santos’ performance of Pop Musik is a highlight of the show and she is very entertaining as Cynthia. Billie Hardy does a nice job with her limited stage time as Marion, Tick’s ex-wife who clearly still wants the best for him.

This production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert leaves a fair amount to be desired, but where it lacks in production value it has plenty of talent on show in its hard-working cast. Plus Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott’s book is funny and heartfelt and the music is so strong – the fantastic material always shines through regardless of the production.

Runs until 4th July 2026, before continuing on tour