Loading ...- Category:
- Soap Box
- Author:
- Phil Scott
- Posted:
- Wednesday, 18 March 2009
Saturday. I watch seven movies and two docos on the plane. Can’t sleep. But for once jet lag doesn’t ruin my first few days in London. As Tina Turner once asked: what’s drugs got to do with it? A lot in this case.
I’m here to do script polishing work on Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: The Musical. Our Aussie show is about to open at the Palace Theatre, adjacent to the gay end of Soho. There will be two weeks of previews before the grand opening on 24 March.
Sunday. Before work starts, I go to lunch with my lovely friends Adrian and Josh, who are putting me up in their flat in Clapham. As we drive past Clapham Common, Josh points out the spot where a Welsh politician was caught with his pants down at the beat. This part of South London used to be pretty rough -” like Sydney’s inner west -” but now is upmarket and gayer. Full of couples and jogging South African boys.
The pub lunch is huge, and quite cheap until you convert pounds into Australian dollars. Then it’s outrageous. Two sleek boys ask me to watch their table while they step outside for a fag. No problem, I say. I was watching it already.
Monday. The Palace is one of the bigger West End theatres, but has little wing space. The first time they drove the heavy Priscilla bus onto the stage, it fell through. Four new floors later it now works.
I’m sitting in a messy auditorium watching a dress rehearsal. It takes all afternoon just to get through Act One, and the first audience arrives tomorrow night! I love it like this: everybody frowning, conferring, solving problems. Where is Young Bernadette’s headdress? We asked for it a week ago!
Tony Sheldon remains as unflappable as ever. Jason Donovan (playing Tick) performs at half-strength today, a million costume changes, entrances and exits on his mind -” but I can see the truth in his character.
He’s going to be very good. Oliver Thornton, our English Felicia, is as buff and luscious as I’d been told. One of those bodies you’d like to spend your Sunday rubbing lotion into. Plus he sings a top B-flat!
Tuesday. Our first preview audience. I’m up in the circle with director Simon Phillips and his wife Caroline. A row of girls behind us are fans: they’ve seen the movie 15 times.
When the show starts they scream at every line, every costume, every set and lighting change. The audience basically goes bananas, clapping along with the songs, which Sydney audiences rarely ever did.
Technical hitches still need sorting out. Some references mean nothing: K-mart, Ansett, Kamahl. But Jason tells me afterwards that he has never known an audience reception like it. That’s a good sign.
Hopefully the enormous sequined shoe will be sitting on top of the Palace marquee for a long time.
Tags: London diary, Oliver Thornton, Phil Scott, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Simon Phillips, Soho, Tony Sheldon
June 15th, 2009 @ 4:02 am
Priscilla is the most fabulous thing ever!!! After a really difficult and traumatic time in my life, it pulled me up by my bra straps and filled me up with happiness again!! I love it!! Thank you and well done – you saved a girl from depression and helped her find her inner drag queen xxx