There are musicals that entertain, and there are musicals that lift the room entirely. Priscilla Queen of the Desert does the latter at the Donald Gordon Theatre, the bus pulling into Cardiff as a gloriously camp, flamboyant celebration of identity, friendship and unapologetic joy.

This new 30th anniversary touring production bursts into life from the opening number, with a drag queen Tina Turner impersonation (Gary Lee as Miss Understanding) so sharp and comic in mannerism and attitude that the audience knew immediately they were in safe hands. From there, the evening moves forward in a riot of sequin frocks, denim shorts and towering heels.

At the centre of it all is Adèle Anderson (from Fascinating Aïda fame), whose Bernadette proves the evening’s standout performance. She delivers many of the sharpest lines with immaculate timing, but crucially brings tenderness and depth too. Beneath the glamour sits a character of grace, resilience and longing. It was no surprise that the loudest ovation of the night belonged to her curtain call. Adèle Anderson is worth the ticket alone: witty, elegant and emotionally rich.

Alongside her, Kevin Clifton (Strictly Come Dancing) gives Tick/Mitzi warmth and humanity, while Nick Hayes provides swagger, comic bite and youthful flamboyance as Felicia. Peter Duncan is excellent value too, particularly as Bob’s gruff exterior softens into an unexpectedly sweet romance with Bernadette.

Visually, the production may not offer the most extravagant version of the famous Priscilla bus ever staged, but what it lacks in scale it more than makes up for in spirit, choreography and ensemble sparkle.

Comedy lands throughout, none more memorably than the infamous ping pong routine (Isabella Glanzing Santos as Cynthia), which had the Cardiff audience in stitches. Another major highlight came with the song MacArthur Park, complete with the cake quite literally left out in the rain, a moment of pure theatrical excess that was met with delight.

Why does that song resonate so strongly with queer audiences? Because it is grand, melodramatic, emotional, slightly absurd and performed with total sincerity. It transforms heartbreak into spectacle, which is camp culture at its finest.

Yet Priscilla is more than glitter and gags, the show also remembers to find heart amid the glitter. A touching late scene in the casino sees Mitzi reunited with his son, where innocence, slot machines and a jackpot combine in an endearing scene.

And one of the evening’s sharpest reminders of the story’s roots came when an anti-gay slur was graffitied across the bus. The theatre fell noticeably silent, underlining how such language now lands less as comedy and more as a reminder of prejudice still within living memory.

If in the first half the audience took a little time to loosen up, the finale changed everything. The closing ensemble number was a full-throttle, pedal to the metal celebration, bringing the entire Donald Gordon Theatre to its feet for a standing ovation.

Thirty years on, Priscilla Queen of the Desert remains outrageous, uplifting and full of heart. In a world that can often feel heavy, Priscilla still knows exactly how to party, with sequins, sass and spectacle. More importantly, it still knows how to remind audiences that joy, friendship and being unapologetically yourself never go out of style.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert is on at Wales Millennium Centre until Monday, 25 April 2026. Limited tickets priced at £17 available online here.