Priscilla Queen of the Desert

The Alhambra

WHEN a troupe of pink paintbrushes sashayed across the stage, I thought I'd just about seen it all. Then came the dancing cup cakes in platform boots, twirling umbrellas as they circled, Busby Berkeley-style.

To say this show is a bit camp would be like saying that everyone in Les Miserables is a bit fed up.

Based on the 1994 film about a trio of flamboyant drag queens travelling across the Australian outback in a battered old bus - the Priscilla of the title - this show is a riot of colour, sparkle and disco. It's cheeky, occasionally shocking, and defiantly proud - and it has a huge heart.

Setting out on this delightfully entertaining road trip are Tick, a jaded drag queen facing up to his past; Bernadette, an elegant transsexual and old school drag act; and Felicia, petulant, over-confident but reeling from a troubled childhood.

Leaving behind the bright lights of Sydney for landlocked Alice Springs, where they're booked for a one-off show, they encounter old rivalries, clashing egos, prejudice and violence, blossoming friendship, and a gentle, unexpected romance. As they motor through the outback, vulnerable to the rising tension and sinister overtones of smalltown bigotry, each of their lives change, and friendship is the gel holding them together.

Each production of Priscilla requires 500 costumes, 200 hats, 100 wigs, 150 pairs of shoes and "a mountain of mascara", so subtle it 'aint. With a score packed full of floor-fillers, including Don't Leave Me This Way, I Love the Nightlife and I Will Survive, this is perfect hen night material, but it's much more than just a frothy jukebox musical.

There's a poignancy throughout, reminding us that prejudice is never far away, even in a desert in the Southern Hemisphere.

With every movement timed to a beat, this is a fast-paced, physical show that requires stamina, as well as acting gravitas. A terrific cast is headed by Jason Donovan as endearing Tick, an estranged father with a glamorous alter ego, Mitzi Mitosis; Simon Green who played wise, dignified Bernadette beautifully; and Adam Bailey who won our hearts as catty, Kylie-obsessed Felicia.

Great performances too from Philip Childs as mild-mannered Bob, and Rebecca Botterill as loose canon Cynthia.

This show is essentially a love letter to Australia - even the Sydney Opera House makes an appearance. Nearly a decade after it first hit the stage, it shows no sign of running out of fuel.

Runs until Saturday

Emma Clayton