The Spring DOS show is packed with camp glamour, a rocking soundtrack, stunning costumes and some of the best performances you’re likely to see anywhere on stage.
The story is of 3 drag artists, Tick
(Ben Connor), Bernadette (Julian Cound) and Felicia (George Hurley) who trek
across Australia to perform a show for Tick’s wife Marion (Kirsty Furness) at
the Alice Springs Casino. Tick, who also
has a son to Marion whom he has not seen in years, is desperate to give
fatherhood a try. Bernadette, a slightly
neurotic former Les Girl has just had her heart broken by the death of her love,
Trumpet and sees the trip as an opportunity to escape the sadness. Felicia is a
hedonistic party fiend, for whom the trip will give her the chance to fulfill a
lifelong dream of climbing Ayres rock in full drag.
Ben’s Tick is as close to
watching Hugo Weaving as you’re ever likely to see; brilliant campy when
needed, soft and vulnerable and with impeccable comedic timing. His MacArthur Park routine will have you gasping
for breath. Julian, as the older, more
mature Bernie makes for a very glamorous MILF; stone cold in his sarcastic put
downs he anchors the two younger fly-by-nights.
George takes on the renegade role, the “can’t be stopped and to hell
with the consequences” I’m going to poke this with a stick and see what
happens.
Of course, the Australian outback
isn’t the most of tolerant of differences and so their journey is met with a
mixture of acceptance and appreciation coupled with bigoted scepticism and
prejudice. The story is as much about
asking the audience to consider their own tolerance as it is about celebrating
the glam and glitz which, without ever preaching, is rather apt in the current
world.
Bringing the 1993 movie to the
stage is a wonderful opportunity for cast and crew to big up the bling, the
hair, the heels and the eye shadow and this version leaves nothing in the
dressing room. Scene changes are seamlessly
accompanied by Miss Understanding (Eddie Taylor-Jones at his most flamboyant EmCee-esque
best) and the Divas. Led by Jess Harrison with Jenny Poole and Claire Wilmer,
they treat us to some of the biggest, campest pop songs including Go West, It’s
Raining Men, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and Venus. Brilliant costumes (fans of
the film will be delighted to see some favourites) and a wonderful Priscilla
make it impossible to turn your eyes away for even a moment.
Notable other mentions must also
go to David Murray as Bob, the dusty outback gentleman who wins Bernadette’s
broken heart and his mail order wife Cynthia, played by the irrepressible
Natalie Robinson, following which I will never be able to watch table tennis or
listen to M’s ‘Pop Music’ ever again.
Tick’s son Benji is played by either Noah Abbas or Alfie Webster – we saw
Noah who was amazing, a great actor and no slouch in the singing.
The ensemble, as is customary
with every DOS production, can turn their hands, feet and voices to a whole
range of numbers; Cowboy hoedown, Kylie inspired 90’s pop, Outback seedy bar
and of course 70’s disco are all given the DOS treatment with Director and Choreographer
Joanne Hand once again creating phenomenal multi-layered routines which show
off the cast’s talents perfectly.
All in, this is a perfect show
for fun, laughs, sing-a-long, feel good and boy do we need some of this at the
moment – I’d go so far as to say this is the best DOS show I’ve seen in over 10
years of reviewing.
Priscilla runs until Saturday 7th May - tickets available from
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/darlingtonos/e-jvekxd
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