Dazzling Priscilla is Anything but a Drag!

The iconic hit musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert is hitting the stage again with more glitter than ever and featuring a dazzling array of incredible costumes, headdresses, and a non-stop hit parade of dance-floor classics.

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If hit-songs like It's Raining Men, I Say A Little Prayer For You, Venus, Hot Stuff, I Will Survive, I Love The Nightlife and Colour My World get your toes tapping – then this is the production for you!

Based on the Oscar-winning smash-hit Australian film, Priscilla is the hilarious and uplifting adventure of three friends (two drag queens and a transgender woman) who contract to perform a drag show in Alice Springs, a resort town in the remote Australian desert. As they head west from Sydney aboard their battered bus, Priscilla, the three friends come to the forefront of a comedy of errors, encountering several strange characters, as well as incidents of homophobia, while widening comfort zones and finding new horizons. Their epic journey is a heart-warming story of self-discovery, sassiness and acceptance.

Metropolitan Players have been around since 1977, producing high-quality productions that allow the audiences to escape, be entertained and experience theatre at its finest. The company is committed to continually striving for excellence and creating outstanding theatre for the community of Newcastle and beyond to enjoy.

After the start of the pandemic, like most of the arts, Metropolitan Players was in limbo and in danger of collapsing due to no income from staging productions. Their hard-working committee found other ways to raise funds during this time and keep the company alive. In March this year, the company staged a very successful season of the hit play The Woman in Black at the Civic Playhouse. This further helped the company raise some much-needed funds for the very substantial budget of staging such a massive production.

The company is fast approaching its 45th birthday and wishes to continue producing these wonderful productions for many years to come. Some of the previous hit productions include The Phantom of the Opera (2013), Mary Poppins (2015), Wicked (2016) and We Will Rock You (2018).

Director Julie Black once again leads this production of Priscilla alongside a very talented and hard-working production team including Musical Director Chris Vidler, Choreographers Mick Dean and Renae Youman, Costume Designers Bev Fewins and Steven Harrison, Set Designers Graeme Black and Donna Nipperess, Hair and Wig Designer George Francis, Make-Up Designer Rachel Millard, Props Designer Jennifer Halliburton and Jacob Harwood on Lighting and Sound Design. The cast includes an array of local talent and is led by, in the three iconic roles, Dave Baker (We Will Rock You) as Tick, Drew Holmes (Beauty and the Beast) as Bernadette and Luke Baker (Wicked) as Adam.

The production will be staged at the beautiful Civic Theatre Newcastle from 18–28 August. Tickets can be purchased from the Civic Theatre Ticket Office or online at www.civictheatrenewcastle.com.au. Priscilla is a glittering production you won't want to miss, so get a group together and experience a great night’s entertainment.