Opening at Manchester’s Palace Theatre, when it struts its way on stage in February 2026, the new UK And Ireland Tour of the award-winning, iconic musical, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, will see Fascinating Aïda’s Adèle Anderson take on the pivotal role of Bernadette.
With razor-sharp wit and a voice to match, Anderson is a revered performer in British cabaret and has been delighting audiences around the world for over four decades. Since joining Fascinating Aïda in 1984, Anderson has co-written with founder member Dillie Keane and performed in countless shows earning the group numerous accolades, including nominations for three Olivier Award nominations, a Perrier Awards and the New York Drama Desk Award.
Anderson, whose recent theatre credits include The School For Scandal, Nul Points and Closer To Heaven, says, “I am delighted to have been asked to join such an illustrious team to bring this joyous show to theatres around the UK and Ireland. Bernadette is a warm, witty, caring and compassionate character, whom audiences will love. In the current climate it is vital that people see this character as a human being who is secure in herself, who loves, laughs and cries and, most importantly, earns respect from those she encounters as she motors through Australia.”
Priscilla Queen of the Desert, based on the 1994 Oscar-winning film, is produced by Mark Goucher, Matthew Gale and Gavin Kalin and directed by Olivier Award-nominated Ian Talbot, with choreography by Olivier Award-winner Matt Cole and set and lighting design by Andrew Exeter.
The sassy and joyous Broadway and West End hit musical, follows the hilarious and heart-warming journey as three friends travel across Australia in a dilapidated bus nicknamed Priscilla to put on the show of a lifetime.
Featuring a hit parade of dance floor classics as well as garnering international acclaim, at its core, Priscilla Queen of the Desert’s enduring appeal lies in its heartfelt exploration and celebration of identity, diversity and the journey toward self-acceptance. Challenging societal norms, and the importance of embracing one’s true self, the characters confront prejudice and adversity, they also discover the strength found in unity, friendship and the beauty of authentic expression.
Packed full of dazzling dance routines, a sparkling array of spectacular costumes and an iconic soundtrack of 80s and 90s disco anthems including Hot Stuff, It’s Raining Men, I Will Survive, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Finally, and more, Priscilla Queen of the Desert is an exuberant celebration of acceptance and belonging, bursting at the seams with humor, heart and spectacle.
The new tour dates for Pricilla Queen Of The Desert are: Palace Theatre, Manchester, 19-28 February | King’s Theatre, Glasgow, 2-7 March | Liverpool Empire, 9-14 March | Mayflower Theatre, Southampton, 16-21 March | Birmingham Hippodrome, 23-28 March | Norwich Theatre Royal, 30 March-4 April | Theatre Royal, Newcastle, 6-11 April | Edinburgh Playhouse, 14-18 April | Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, 20-25 April | Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, 28 April-2 May | Aylesbury Theatre, 4-9 May | New Victoria, Woking, 11-16 May | The Marlowe, Canterbury, 25-30 May | Grand Opera House, Belfast, 1-6 June | Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin, 8-13 June | Theatre Royal, Brighton, 16-20 June | Curve Theatre, Leicester, 22-27 June | Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, 6-11 July, and Hall for Cornwall, Truro, 14-18 July.
Tickets here.
