Drag in the desert

Published on November 5, 2007

 Australia's modern cult classic "Priscilla: Queen of the Desert" has been made into a stage musical. Premiered in Sydney last year, the jukebox musical comedy, featuring disco hits like "I Will Survive" and "Go West", is now playing to almost full houses in Melbourne, and will open in London's West End late next year in a co-production with Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group.

Drawing the loudest applause at the end of each performance is Jeremy Stanford. The Nation recently chatted with the veteran actor, also known to fans of musical theatre for his stellar performance in the title role of "The Buddy Holly Story".

Stanford shared his insights into why the film did so well and the success the stage version is currently enjoying.

"At film school we were taught a good film needs vivid characters and exotic locations. Need I say more ..? I will. Even though these characters are vivid, they capture our imagination and our hearts. We want them to succeed. I've always thought this story is about three gay men who get what they wish for. It's a simple but beautiful premise, but along the way they have to jump through all kinds of emotional and physical hoops to achieve their wishes. This is good storytelling. It's funny, moving and has plenty of tension.

"The musical offers this and a whole lot more. It's an amazing spectacle with incredible costumes and sets, an eye-popping life-size bus which takes the drags on their journey and a sensational array of wonderful songs that help drive the story along. It's a much more complete experience seen as a musical. You come out feeling like you've had the time of your life."

Stanford went on to talk about his character.

"Tick's role is a complex one and one that appealed to me enormously. A gay man - a drag queen - who has a son with whom he hasn't yet had a relationship. The decision he takes at the beginning of the show is to go on a journey to meet his son and find out what kind of father he will make and how his son will accept him and his unusual lifestyle. It takes enormous courage, and the fear of the outcome haunts him throughout the trip. That's an extraordinary story to tell as an actor.

"I guess the toughest part about the role is playing a straight bat to the shenanigans of Bernadette [another gay man/drag queen] and Felicia [a transsexual]. Those characters are quite outrageous and hilarious and they tell brilliantly funny jokes all night. Tick isn't furnished with that kind of material and I have to be very disciplined to not try and join that party. It's hard some nights being the straight guy, so to speak, to the funny guys. You want a few more jokes of your own."

Stanford then spoke about how he prepared for one of his most challenging roles.

"I researched it the same way I'd research any other role, although this role took me to a few more unusual places than I'd been before - drag clubs and gay bars. Being married gives me a wonderful insight into the bonds a father has with his sons. One of my boys is exactly the age as Tick's son in the show, so the connection I feel is intense. I've chosen to play Tick quite straight anyway. I want him to be the kind of man that you wouldn't know was gay on meeting him."

Some critics have noted that straight men are often better at portraying gay characters than gay men. To that, Stanford responds, "It's hard to know whether straight actors play better gay men. I can't for the life of me see why they would. Daniel Scott plays a fantastic Felicia, and he's gay. Surely it's got to come down to the quality of the actor."

After the feathers, high heels, wigs and layers of makeup, it's interesting to note that Stanford is married, with children.

"To kids, there's no issue. My eldest asked me why the people of Broken Hill had written 'F**k off faggots' across the side of the bus. We had a discussion about how some people don't like men who are attracted to other men. I told him people who think that way are ignorant and that there was nothing wrong with loving whoever you wanted to love. It's all just love. Intolerance of gay people boils my blood. I can't fathom what the problem is."

Finally, for aspiring musical-theatre performers in Thailand - Asia's "gay paradise" - Stanford had a few words of encouragement.

"Being in a musical requires a lot of craft. Musicals tend to use songs to further the story as well as script, so the script has to be as tight as possible. This means you have to be able to tell the story efficiently through many mediums. I am more of an actor than a singer or dancer, so I think my emphasis is on that. There are those freaks of nature though, who can do all three extremely well, and I just want to kill them."

And so, what should we do to make it in musical theatre?

"Do everything! Get as much experience as you can and always keep learning. Performing is fun but it's also a huge discipline and you need to be ready to take on anything at anytime. Who knows, you might be playing a drag queen one day!"

"Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical" performs daily (except Mondays) at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne. For tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com.au. For more information, Priscillathemusical.com.

Special thanks to Bridges PR's Scott Dawkins who helped arrange this interview.

The writer can be contacted at Pawit.M@chula.ac.th.

Pawit Mahasarinand

 The Nation