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Post by marion on Oct 10, 2019 17:10:51 GMT
Just back from seeing this at Wimbledon where the crowd went wild. It must be quite raucous at the evening shows I imagine. This is near the start of a tour which runs well into next year and goes to loads of venues.
The big question for this is "Is Joe McFadden a convincing drag queen?". For me the answer is, sadly No. He just doesn't have the stage presence although he can sing nicely and dance OK. He plays Tick, the guy trying to reach Alice Springs to reconnect with his wife and son. He is accompanied by a transgender older woman, Bernadette, played by, I think, Miles Western(no idea) and another drag queen, Felicia, played by Nick Hayes of Hollyoaks fame. Well Mr Hollyoaks was amazing, fully convincing in his role with oodles of presence. Bernadette was played well with dignity.
The songs were great, the singing and dancing was excellent, the humour a bit on the basic side. But on the whole the audience adored it. Just a shame Joe didn't have more oomph really.
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Post by yankee on Oct 10, 2019 17:23:09 GMT
I've seen the film version of "Priscilla" and the US remake "To Wong Foo" and felt they were both very good as companion pieces.
I found Priscilla darker, more introspective and dealt more with the CD/TS lifestyle. To Wong Foo was more a celebration of camp.
Given that the plot involves a cross country road trip I reckon it took some creative writing and set design to shoe horn that into a stage production?
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Post by marion on Oct 10, 2019 21:49:38 GMT
There was very little set! So no scenery as such, just props and costumes to suggest where they were.
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Post by yankee on Oct 10, 2019 22:28:09 GMT
That sounds terrifically clever! Minimalist.
What was the play "Our Town" I think where the set was a pair of step ladders and a table and chairs?
Glad you enjoyed Priscilla I'll have to keep a look out for a touring company.
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Post by goodhelenstar on Oct 11, 2019 6:45:50 GMT
I remember 'Our Town' on TV, with Hal Holbrook as the narrator.
The film of Priscilla was probably not as raucous as the stage show sounds, but with really searing performances particularly from Terence Stamp as Bernadette.
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Post by marion on Oct 11, 2019 11:00:16 GMT
Raucous is a good word for it! The four women in front of us who were knocking back the prosecco had a whale of a time!
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Post by yankee on Oct 11, 2019 14:04:14 GMT
I remember 'Our Town' on TV, with Hal Holbrook as the narrator. The film of Priscilla was probably not as raucous as the stage show sounds, but with really searing performances particularly from Terence Stamp as Bernadette. I agree and Stamps brilliant, understated performance rather highlights the difference between "Priscilla" and "Too Wong Foo"
I thought Patrick Swayze was quite brilliant in the same role in Too Wong Foo, but as a viewer I never didn't know it was Patrick Swayze in drag done up by professional make-up and wardrobe crew. He never truly became the character. And that is what made it a more fun celebration of camp (with some more serious moments mixed in).
But in watching Priscilla, Stamp's performance transcended and you believed you were watching someone who did not just do cabaret but "lived" the lifestyle their entire life. He was road weary, often somber. Damaged. And that gave a much more sense of realism.
That is why I find the two films to be companion pieces as opposed to an original and a remake. Some viewers might prefer TWF because its more colourful and camp and lighthearted. Others prefer the more stark realism of Priscilla.
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Post by goodhelenstar on Oct 11, 2019 17:56:43 GMT
Agreed, yankeepov. I don't know if you know Terence Stamp outside this film, but he was known for playing very nasty gangsters who would murder you as soon as look at you! So it was an eye-opener to see him in this role. I haven't seen, or heard of, Too Wong Foo but will look out for it if it ever comes to TV.
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Post by yankee on Oct 11, 2019 19:02:28 GMT
I think my first time seeing Terrance Stamp was in "The Limey" and he was a brilliantly chilling gangster in that one!
Here is the trailer for Too Wong Foo.
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