Review: Priscilla Queen of the Desert the musical | UK tour, Glasgow - A sparkling celebration of queerness and acceptance
- Lisa in the theatre
- Mar 4
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 5
The new high-energy, high-camp UK tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert the musical is at the King's Theatre, Glasgow from 2 - 7 March 2026 before continuing across the UK until July 2026. Read my review below.
Priscilla Queen of the Desert the musical UK tour ★★★★☆
Review: 2 March 2026 | King's Theatre, Glasgow
Based on the 1994 Oscar-winning film, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, the musical follows three drag performers who travel across the Australian outback in a ramshackle old bus.
Sydney-based drag queen Tick (ex-Strictly Come Dancing pro Kevin Clifton) agrees to perform a residency at his ex-wife's casino in remote Alice Springs, and to meet his nine-year-old son for the first time. Tick persuades Bernadette (Fascinating Aida's Adèle Anderson) - a transgender woman, and Adam (Nick Hayes) - a young, flamboyant drag queen, to join him on the long journey to central Australia to put on the show.
As they 'Go West' in their bus, soon nicknamed 'Priscilla', they meet strange, new people, learn a few uncomfortable truths about each other, and unleash their unique brand of glittering, queer joy on the unsuspecting Australian desert.
Priscilla Queen of the Desert is a jukebox musical
Priscilla Queen of the Desert is a jukebox musical featuring 27 disco hits from the 1980s and 1990s. The show is bursting with upbeat, feel-good, floor-fillers all played by an excellent live band.
From classic drag anthems like 'It's Raining Men' and 'I Will Survive', to disco and pop classics such as 'Don't Leave Me This Way', Kylie's 'Spinning Around' and one of my personal favourites 'MacArthur Park' - the musical numbers are a celebration of all things gay pride and acceptance.
But far from being a jukebox musical where the songs are shoehorned in, the numbers in Priscilla fit the storyline surprisingly well. Yes, there are some cheesy moments, but it's all done with great humour and a few touches of brilliance. Act I in particular, is relentless in its almost non-stop boisterous disco onslaught. It's a lot! But the energy and enthusiasm of the entire company is infectious. I grinned the whole way through.
The live music is a highlight of director Ian Talbot's pacey production, and Matt Cole's dynamic choreography expertly complements it. A stunning cast of world-class dancers accompanies our three heroes, embellishing their story with Broadway-style, full-scale musical numbers. Adorned in Vicky Gill's modern, playful costumes, every scene explodes with colour and sparkle.
This UK tour of 'Priscilla' (thankfully, and unlike previous tour productions) has not skimped on the ensemble or costume budgets, and we're treated to up to ten fabulous supporting dancers filling the stage for every routine.
A well-balanced, tender book underneath all the glitter
At the centre of the story, Clifton, Hayes and Anderson are all superb and have great onstage chemistry. Their dialogue is natural and rough; their friendly but cruel taunts of one another are sometimes hilarious, but often vicious. Ian Talbot's show ensures there is ample time for character development, and it pays off as we come to care about these quirky characters and their journey.
Despite the overwhelmingly joyful and entertaining nature of Priscilla, this road trip is frequently charged with tension. Priscilla Queen of the Desert is a powerful reminder that homophobia still exists, and that drag performers deal with insecurities and abuse behind their glamorous masks and bravado. There's a well-balanced, tender book underneath all the glitter.
A wonderful addition to the musical version of Priscilla, the Three Divas (Leah Vassell, Bernadette Bangura and Jessie May) provide a Greek chorus for the show. Much like Hercules' Muses and Hadestown's Fates, the three Divas here have the best vocals in the show.
I'm still not comfortable with the portrayal of Bob's Filipina wife Cynthia, although Isabella Glanzing Santos is a firecracker in the role. The casting of Blue Peter's Peter Duncan as Bob himself, however, is frankly baffling.
A sparkling celebration of queerness and acceptance
There were a couple of occasions when the video screens (which provide the backdrop for the set) were a little underwhelming - real confetti during Clifton's showstopping MacArthur Park routine, for example, would have been much more effective - but on the whole, they work well to replicate the moving scenery of Priscilla's long, arduous journey. However, the visual spectacle of this musical production undoubtedly comes from the bright costumes, the abundance of dancers and the impressive stage presence of the central cast.
There are rumoured to be one million sequins and 100 costume changes in this new UK tour production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and I appreciated every single one of them! A jubilant, sparkling celebration of queerness and acceptance, this is easily the best version of the 30-year-old film I've ever seen on stage. Great fun ★★★★☆
Priscilla Queen of the Desert, the musical, is at Glasgow King's Theatre until Saturday 7th March.
More: Find the full cast list here: Full cast announced for Priscilla Queen of the Desert the musical UK tour
Priscilla Queen of the Desert musical in Scotland 2026
King's Theatre, Glasgow
Monday 2 - Saturday 7 March 2026
Edinburgh Playhouse
Tuesday 14 - Saturday 18 April 2026
More UK tour dates and venues at https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/priscilla-queen-of-the-desert-the-musical/
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