Ashling Findlay-Carroll reviews a glitzy production that's 'fun with a capital F'.
When you think of theatre at Christmas time, several things come to mind: men dressed as women, audience participation, a few questionable jokes and singing along to some well-known pop classics.
Well, Priscilla offers all of this and more! The disco ball lights up the Playhouse from the get-go and instantly whips up the audience, giving them what they've come for: pure, unadulterated Christmas campery!
The ensemble are hugely energetic and their performances are on point throughout, moving seamlessly from one dynamic dance routine to the next with gusto. Unfortunately, this does expose the headliner, Jason Donavon, who seems tired by comparison and unable to keep the pace. He does, however, bring a warmth to the stage and can be forgiven his lack of polish in the dance routines both because of his strong rapport with the rest of the cast and for the fact that he is, after all, playing an ageing drag queen.
Karen Dunbar makes a brief but amusing cameo appearance, making light of her wobbly Australian accent with her excellent comic timing and exaggerated performance. She does, however, have so little stage time that I wonder if it was worth her while taking a break from her annual panto stint.
Simon Green as Bernadette and Adam Bailey as Felicia both give excellent performances, and the true star of the piece is the relationship between the three leads. Hilariously cutting comments shot back and forth are blended with moments of support and solidarity, which make for a glimmer of truth in the relationship between these three characters underneath the sequins and fake eyelashes. What is evident is that they are having a ball, and it is as fun to witness as it clearly is for them to perform.
The costumes don't disappoint, and an array of progressively more extravagant and extreme outfits simply add to the overall fabulousness of the experience.
A touching moment when Donavon's 'Tick' meets his son for the first time is somewhat diminished by the boy's unexpectedly strong Scottish accent, which unfortunately had the audience laughing out loud. However, it’s a minor blemish on what is otherwise a highly polished machine.
What there's no denying is that this is Fun with a capital F, and whilst it's a departure from the traditional panto, personally I didn't miss the cries of "oh no he didn't" and from the response of the audience around me neither did they.
Performs at Edinburgh Playhouse until January 3, 2016 before continuing its tour.
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