New musical The Diana Mixtape has landed in London at HERE at Outernet and is a strong contender for the campest show in town right now. Starring a quintet of Drag Race icons – Courtney Act, Divina De Campo, Kitty Scott-Claus, Rosé and Priyanka – as the people’s princess (yes, all five play Diana at the same time) – it bills itself as a “concert/musical/event like nothing you have experienced before” and we’re pleased to confirm they’re quite right. It makes for a fun – if rather chaotic – night out.
This is quite a large-scale production – alongside our five queens the show features musical theatre icon Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman) as Queen Elizabeth II; Noel Sullivan (aka Noel from Hear’Say) as Charles; Lucinda Lawrence as Camilla; and the cast is supported by a troupe of five dancers. It flies by in 90 minutes (no interval) with costume changes galore, and the venue’s huge screen is utilised effectively throughout. Story-wise it’s far from an accurate retelling – this a drag show after all, not a documentary – but all the key moments are present and correct.
Oh – we haven’t mentioned the songs yet! They’re a great selection – it’s a jukebox musical full of all your queer faves, old and new. Think songs originally performed by Lady Gaga, Kylie, Britney Spears, Jade, Dua Lipa, Chappell Roan and a whole lot more besides. Each of the queens brings something unique to the performance – they’re all afforded their solo moments to shine, and the group numbers work well – though the star of the show vocally is Keala Settle, who is sadly a little underused. Noel Sullivan and Lucinda Lawrence are both strong vocally and share a few amusing moments, as well as a hilarious pre-recorded film sequence.
At times the musical is a little chaotic and scrappy – we had quite a few sound issues on press night and it’s not the slickest production we’ve seen – but it’s still a good laugh and makes for an enjoyable night out. The Diana Mixtape is currently playing in London at HERE at Outernet until 10 August; it then transfers to the Lowry in Salford for a short run 19-21 August.
GAY TIMES gives The Diana Mixtape – 3/5
More information can be found here.
Latest
