Alright girls, let’s get this show on the road! Following the announcement of Australian theatre royalty Tony Sheldon as Bernadette, David Harris as Tick and Euan Doidge as Felicia – the full cast of Australia’s most successful homegrown musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert has been confirmed.
A fabulous cast of Australian performers will steer the iconic musical back home for its 10th anniversary celebration tour beginning on Sunday 21 January 2018 at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre, before hitting the road for Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane.
Joining the desert adventure are Robert Grubb as outback mechanic Bob; Kinky Boots alumni Emma Powell as burly bartender Shirl and Blake Appelqvist as Miss Understanding; Adele Parkinson as hotel entertainment manager Marion; Angelique Cassimatis, Samm Hagen and Cle Morgan as sassy disco singers, The Divas; and reprising her role from the original Australian production, Lena Cruz as Bob’s wife Cynthia.
The cast also includes Jakob Ambrose, Michelle Barr, Xander Ellis, Mitchell Fistrovic, Tom Handley, Haydan Hawkins, Luke Jarvis, Joe Kosky, Leonard Mickelo, Adam Noviello, Shannen Quan, Glaston Toft and Patrick Whitbread.
“We’ve assembled a cracking cast for Priscilla’s homecoming, led by a doyen of the musical stage, Tony Sheldon,” said Director Simon Phillips. “We’re blessed to have some of our original cast back on the bus for the 10th anniversary tour, along with many fabulous new faces. I can’t wait to put the stiletto to the metal and get rehearsals started.”
Based on the Oscar-winning Australian film, Priscilla Queen of the Desert is the hilarious story of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus bound for Alice Springs to put on the show of a lifetime. Featuring a dazzling array of more than 500 award-winning costumes, 200 headdresses and a nonstop parade of dancefloor classics including It’s Raining Men, I Will Survive, I Love the Nightlife, Finally and many more.
The quintessentially Aussie story about mateship, self-discovery and acceptance was translated from screen to stage by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, with the film’s acclaimed costume designers Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner onboard, alongside stage designer Brian Thomson and co-choreographers Ross Coleman and Andrew Hallsworth.
The 1994 film starring Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce remains one of Australia’s most successful films and soundtracks of all-time with a swag of awards in the trophy cabinet, including an Oscar for Best Costume Design.
Owing to popular demand, new seats for the Melbourne season will be released tomorrow – Thursday 23 November. Sydneysiders can also book a seat on the bus from Monday 27 November, when tickets for the musical’s Capitol Theatre season go on sale. Sydney performances begin on 13 May 2018. For more information, visit: www.priscillathemusical.com.au for details.
Image: Priscilla Queen of the Desert – original Australian production (supplied)