Concept

Based on the 1994 popular movie of the same name, Priscilla Queen of the Desert follows the journey of two drag queens, Tick and Adam, and a transgender woman, Bernadette, in their road trip across Australia - on board a lavender bus named Priscilla. Tick’s ex wife Marion has asked him to perform at a hotel in Alice Springs, where she expects him to finally meet his eight year old son Benji, andfinally take on the role of father. Taking feisty, confrontational Adam and collected, classy Bernadette along for the ride, the three drag queens drive from urban Sydney to the remote resort town in the middle of the outback. As they head west, Tick, Adam, and Bernadette learn to accept and support each other as friends, whilst encountering a number of events and characters in the Australian desert, some more comical and light hearted, some initiating interactions that shed light on homophobic and trasphobic sentiment in rural area The road trip becomes the concrete representation of the internal transformations the characters undergo: both as a group, deepening their bond and getting to know each other, as well as individual growth and character development. Upon reaching Alice Springs, the trio is welcomed and accepted without question… they perform with joy and their journey is finally concluded. The happy ending of the play warms the heart and sends out a hopeful message for gay and trans rights, amongst all the glamour and comedy and music. Packed with well-known pop songs and embellished in every way, Priscilla Queen of the Desert is a flamboyant, funny, disco-fuelled musical. The play deals with themes of identity, transformation, contrast, femininity, violence and prejudice, show business, family, love, and beauty