Adèle Anderson to play Bernadette in Priscilla Queen of the Desert

It has been announced today that Adèle Anderson, best known as one-third of the internationally acclaimed satirical cabaret trio Fascinating Aïda, will play the role of Bernadette in the UK and Ireland tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

With razor-sharp wit and a voice to match, Adèle 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, Adèle has co-written with founder member Dillie Keane and performed in countless shows, earning the group numerous accolades, three Olivier Award nominations, a Perrier Awards and the New York Drama Desk Award.

Adèle’s recent theatre credits include ‘The School For Scandal’ (Midsummer Scene Festival, Dubrovnik), ‘Nul Points’ (Union Theatre), ‘She Loves Me’ (Sheffield Crucible), ‘Closer To Heaven’ (Above The Stag), ‘Doctor Dolittle’ (UK Tour) and ‘Follies’ (Landor Theatre). She has recently performed at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and has appeared in numerous pantomimes around the country and directed two at The Theatre, Chipping Norton.

Adèle Anderson said: “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 set to hit the road, bursting onto stages across the UK and Ireland opening at the Palace Theatre in Manchester on 19 February 2026 and touring through to July 2026. International dates will also be announced in due course.

Directed by Olivier Award-nominated Ian Talbot OBE with choreography by Olivier Award-winner Matt Cole with 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.

The tour dates for this beloved musical 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).

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.

Further casting will be announced in due course. Priscilla Queen of the Desert UK & Ireland Tour is produced by Mark Goucher, Matthew Gale (Hairspray The Musical, The Full Monty and Shrek The Musical) and Gavin Kalin.

Based on the Latent Images/Specific Films motion picture distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., with a book by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott this brand-new production is directed by Ian Talbot with choreography by Matt Cole and set and lighting by Andrew Exeter.

Mark Goucher, Gavin Kalin and Matthew Gale
in association with Nullarbor Productions
and MGM on Stage
Present
PRISCILLA
QUEEN OF THE DESERT
the musical
Book by
Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott
Based on the Latent Image/Specific Films Motion Picture
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.

CREATIVE TEAM:
Ian Talbot (Director)
Matt Cole (Choreographer)
Andrew Exeter (Set and Lighting Design)
David Grindrod (Casting)
Developed for the Stage by Simon Phillips
Musical Arrangements by Stephen “Spud” Murphy
Orchestrations by Stephen “Spud” Murphy & Charlie Hull

The original motion picture was written by Stephan Elliott, produced by Al Clark and Michael Hamlyn, executive Producer Rebel Penfold-Russell and was financed with the assistance of the Film Finance Corporation Australia Limited and the New South Wales Film and Television Office.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert Tour Dates Include
Palace Theatre Manchester
Thu 19 Feb – Sat 28 Feb 2026

King’s Theatre, Glasgow
Mon 2 Mar – Sat 7 Mar 2026

Liverpool Empire
Mon 9 Mar – Sat 14 Mar 2026

Edinburgh Playhouse
Tue 14 Apr – Sat 18 Apr 2026

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
Mon 4 May – Sat 9 May 2026

New Victoria Theatre, Woking
Mon 11 May – Sat 16 May 2026

Theatre Royal Brighton
Tue 16 Jun – Sat 20 Jun 2026