Priscilla Enters Second Year

As Priscilla Queen of the Desert celebrates 12 months at the Palace Theatre, West End Theatre Breaks takes a look at some of the remarkable behind-the-scenes wizardry that makes the production one of the most visually spectacular in London theatre.

A Really Useful Venue

Priscilla the musical started life in Sydney, opening with advance sales of 50,000 tickets. A seven month run in Melbourne followed, with the show picking up an irresistible momentum. A move to London was inevitable and a partnership with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘The Really Useful Group’ gave access to the Palace Theatre.

The Palace has a proven track record, although, like most Victorian venues, it suffers from limited backstage space, meaning the whole show has been shoehorned in. The wig department is crammed into a dressing room, whilst the mask department has set up shop in a corridor. Flying pieces fill the grid above the stage, some exceeding the capacity of the theatre’s counterweight system and being flown instead by special motors.

Incredible Costumes

From cupcakes to paintbrushes and elegant emus, the incredible costumes have stretched the imagination of the Priscilla design team, led by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner. The pair won an Oscar for the costumes they created in the original film.

The spirit of the movie is certainly recaptured as bright Sydney clubs and dry outback towns are brought to life with exuberant flair. With so many roles and wacky characters in the show, costume rails and quick changing rooms have been squeezed into every available space, including two levels of rails behind the stage backcloth.

The Show’s Biggest Diva!

The real diva of the production is the automated bus, which has pushed the boundaries of audio-visual technology. A mind-blowing 40,000 LEDs turn the side of 'Priscilla' into a moving screen, with animations stored internally on two computers.

A moving bus spins on stage, colours exploding, as the cast performs hit after hit in fabulous outfits - it's not hard to see why Priscilla won Best Costume Design at the 2010 Laurence Olivier Awards!

Join Mitzi, Bernadette and Felicia on the journey of a lifetime!

Book Your Priscilla Break Today!

Posted by Ben on Tuesday 23rd March 2010 at 7:46PM

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