Fabulous: Priscillified: Drag, Disco And Desert Drama Review

★★★★★

Describing themselves as “Australia’s version of Adele, if you ordered Adele off Temu”, Dean Misdale brings their drag show Priscillified: Drag, Disco and Desert Drama to Laughing Horse @ Freddy’s to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. From singing on stage with Adele and going viral overnight, to becoming the first drag queen to play the role of Killer Queen in We Will Rock You, Misdale’s career has been varied. They talk us through it, starting with dancing along to Priscilla as a child, to eventually getting a role in the musical during COVID, and finishing with some funny stories from their experiences of working in small mining towns, where there was little to do apart from scroll through dating apps.  

Misdale’s vocals will blow you away. Their voice is so powerful, and simply amazing to listen to. There is not a weak song in the performance; each one perfectly suits their voice and complements the story that they have just told. One of my favourites is ‘Your Husband is a Cheater’, sung to the tune of ‘La Isla Bonita’, which is about their experiences of married men matching with them on dating apps looking for one-night stands. It’s equal parts silly and clever, and also extremely catchy.

In addition to their killer vocals, Misdale has great stage presence. They are a natural with the crowd and their humour works brilliantly with the Scottish audience. They truly look like they are having a ball on stage, and this infectious energy seeps into the audience, encouraging us to sing along and dance in our seats. It is a very slick and polished performance, which is even more impressive when you take into account that it is entirely a one-person show and Misdale is in charge of operating the music and welcoming guests in, as well as being the sole performer.

At the end, Misdale says their aim for every performance is to bring some joy into a world where we seem to be constantly hearing bad news. They definitely achieve this: what’s not to love about a sing-a-long drag show packed with brilliant songs and hosted by a highly skilled performer? All in all, Priscillified: Drag, Disco and Desert Drama is a real treat to watch, and it’s truly fabulous in every way.

Priscillified: Drag, Disco and Desert Drama was performed at Laughing Horse @ Freddy’s as part of Edinburgh Fringe.

Words by Ellen Leslie

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