"Priscilla Queen Of The Desert - The Musical".

Nottingham Royal Concert Hall.

Welcome to camp Priscilla as the big pink bus rolls back into Nottingham, and you don't get any camper than this! 

I was asked the other day about seeing the same show several times, and this show is testament to why I enjoy seeing the same piece of theatre on several occasions. It gets better every time it rolls around, with a script that is always evolving to keep the show fresh and up to date. The soundtrack as well is the best collection of party anthems ever to appear in a jukebox style musical.

This musical, for anyone who has not seen it before, is a double edged sword because while there’s dollops of fun and fabulousness in the characters and songs, not to mention the costumes, there’s also a touch of sadness threaded through the story with bigotry and homophobia and there’s some poignant renditions of the ballads.

Mitzi Mitosis, whose real name is Anthony "Tick" Belrose, is performing in a club when his estranged wife, Marion, calls for a favour, which involves performing for her business in Alice Springs. At first Tick is reluctant to do. After Marion explains that part of the reason she's asking is because their now eight-year-old son, Benji, wants to meet his father, he changes his mind and gets an act together to do what Marion asks.

Along with fellow performers, Bernadette and Adam, he sets off in Priscilla, the ”boogie bus”, to perform for Marion, but all does not go to plan and they encounter some interesting characters on their journey. Adam and Bernadette don’t get on, so there are plenty of fireworks in store.

If you can think of the best hen night party soundtrack, then you’re getting close to the soundtrack for this road trip musical. I can guarantee that if your toes are not tapping and you don’t feel like chucking your hand bag down and dancing round it, then you re truly not of the living. You’ll know every single song, “It’s Raining Men”, “Finally”, “I Will Survive”, ”Don’t Leave Me This Way”, “Venus”, “Colour My World”, “Hot Stuff” , “Boogie Wonderland”, “Go West”, “Shake Your Groove Thing” as well as a lovely version of “Always On My Mind/I Say A Little Prayer” and Cyndi Lauper's "True Colours".

Watch out for the eye popping version of “Pop Muzik” as well!

Kevin Clifton (Tick/Mitzi) shows a wonderfully camp side of his acting, but while there could have been a possibility of taking the camp over the top, this didn't happen which made Tick believable. I've seen Kevin in a few musicals now and, as always, his vocals are spot on with a nice shift from camp comedy to serious and emotive acting. Clifton also got one of the best parts of the musical with lead up to the song "MacArthur Park", a classic piece of musical theatre comedy. Needless to say, his dancing is Strictly superb!

Nick Hayes (Adam/Felicia) provides the naughty, fun element of the trio. Often like a naughty little boy who won't listen to reason and stirring it up with Bernadette. The classical piece with Felicia on top of the bus is epic and his tribute to Kylie's "Confide In Me" shows his vocals off with perfect power and control, as well as a drama. There's a scene where it all gets too much for Adam and then we get to see the more tender side of the character when the performing side of Felizia's mask slips.

Adele Anderson (Bernadette) you will recognise straight away from being one third of Fascinating Aida. Great comedy and also has the calming mother hen style with the other two, The facial expressions are a joy and Bernadette's one liners are cutting but funny. Bernadette is the classy corner of this trio, and even when she steps in to protect Adam, she brings the other person to his knees, quite literally, and with the perfect putdown.

Peter Duncan (Bob), plays the mechanic who saves the day by getting Priscilla back on the road, and finds love on the way. A lovely gentle comedy role from one Peter who will never be blue. Happy Birthday for this Sunday as well Mr Duncan.

Billie Hardy (Marion), Benji's mother and ex husband of Tick, who decides that it's time that Tick met Benji, so pulls in a favour, asking him to perform at the Casino, the club that she runs.

Sario Solomon (Miss Understanding) is sauce on legs, and what legs! She, that is Miss Understanding, jokes with the front row of the audience at the start and releases her Tina Turner moves with her number "What's Love Got To Do With It". It is eight years this year that I first reviewed Sario in "The Band" and his stage craft has skyrocketed with this role, which is only a cover, so you may not see Sario show off his brilliant comedy Tina dancing and vocals, as well as his ability as a performer to work his way around a crackling mic pac. He was handed a hand held mic to continue his performance, and I noticed when he came on at the end as Miss Understanding his little acknowledgement of the now working head mic. As a member of the ensemble, his dancing is, and has always been sharp and energetic.

Isabella Glanznig Santos (Cynthia) plays Bob's wife with an eye-popping performance that turns out to be a hard act to follow. Great fun but so politically incorrect.

The Three Divas, Leah Vassell, Bernadette Bangura and Jessie May - who also doubles as Shirley -  have incredible soul voices and look amazing as well. They really get the party started with an explosive "It's Raining Men", and add power to the majority of the rest of the soundtrack. 

Benji, Tick's son, throughout the tour is played by five different young actors. Tonight we saw local lad Harper Etienne from Derbyshire. This young man, who makes his professional debut in this show, is a rising star. Watching him in the finale medley, he was absolutely loving his time on stage. I had a feeling that I had seen Harper somewhere before and looking at the programme on the bus on the way home I saw that he had been in last year's Playhouse panto. Having checked my review from last year's "Sleeping Beauty" I also noted that I had mentioned that this young man stood out and "was at times at the back of the group and looked as if he had heard that phrase "dance like there's nobody watching". He was so in the zone while being part of a group and you were just drawn to him because of that supreme confidence. Watch this space, this young man is going to be a star very soon!

The cast is completed by Jak Allen-Anderson (Farah/Young Bernadette) and Alexander Emery (Frank).

The ensemble, Mary Suarez, Tia Antoine-Charles, Olivia Bella, Nathan Ryles, Michael Afemare, Finan O'Carroll, Alexander Gage and Samuel Stokes, work their butts off with some high-kicking and energetic choreographed pieces by Matt Cole and Associate Choreographer Thomas Charles. 

Directed by Ian Talbot with Associate Director Sam Holmes. They have added a few new sprinkles I noticed and have kept the high excitement of the other theatre productions, all of which I have loved. Ian and Sam carry the fun baton even further.

I have but one quite small negative though. In the sequence at the Casino show where the songs get ever faster and there are a few costume changes, the changes are done by way of a sliding prop covering the view to the trio on stage. The sliding screen either needs to be done a bit slower or the trio need to move with the screen a bit faster as you could see both sets of trios, one on the way out and the other trio performing. Every stage is different in every theatre so with this being opening night I imagine that this section will tighten up, but I just thought I'd mention it.

Set design is by Andrew Exeter, who also designed the lighting. Both designs are wonderful, especially with the Video Design by Leo Flint. From what I remember from the last time that I saw the show, there have also been a few changes in the design department. The bus, after it was spray painted with obscenities, is this time painted pink by hand, the inside of the bus is a more complete arrangement and the opening sequence is also different to what I remember. The lighting is as colourful and exciting as the show itself.

The costumes, designed by Vicky Gill, are flamboyantly fabulous, as you'd expect. Just take a look at the photos to get an idea of just how good the costume designs are.

Wigs, Hair and Make Up Designer is Craig Forrest-Thomas. There are some quite quick make-up, hair and wig changes for the three main leads and the results of these quick changes look absolutely marvellous.

Musical Arranger is Stephen "Spud" Murphy and the Orchestration is by Stephen Murphy and Charlie Hull. The music, as I have said above, create the perfect party atmosphere, and in numbers like "Say A Little Prayer", "True Colours" and the first half of "MacArthur Park", where the arrangement is slowed down, you appreciate just how good the song choice is for what is taking place in that part of the play.

Sound design is by Ben Harrison.

Despite all the laughs though, there is the very real message surrounding homophobia and bigotry, which is eventually overcome by tolerance and compassion. But it still reminds us that the LGBTQ community still have a battle on their hands with small minded people. Being different is something that should be celebrated and not hidden or beaten down.

You will leave this show on a high, thanks to the story and the soundtrack, but also thanks to the high energy feel from the whole cast, so if you can, get yourself a ticket, jump on board and be prepared to party.

"Priscilla Queen Of The Desert" is at the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall until Saturday 2 May.

Photography by Johan Persson.