For the last decade, drag culture has almost become entirely mainstream, largely thanks to the glitz, glamour, and tea-spilling of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Which has been sashaying its way into loungerooms around for the globe for twelve seasons now. But way back in 1994, an unassuming little Australian film brought the booming Sydney drag scene to the world with the original drag race, that became an enduring cult classic.
Armed with an array of outlandish costumes, a terrific ensemble cast, a soundtrack of disco’s finest, and the Australian Outback as its spectacular backdrop, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert arrived at a decidedly dark moment in gay history. After the AIDS epidemic had decimated thousands of lives in the 1980s, the early 90s hardly seemed the time for cinema to be celebrating gay lifestyle.
Just one year earlier, Tom Hanks and Philadelphia had brought the AIDS crisis to mainstream cinema. And captured both the devastation of the virus and the discrimination that ran rampant across America. Bringing with it a much-need dose of levity and an intoxicating playful spirit, Priscilla deviated from the bleakness of reality. And instead delivered the unashamed celebration of queer culture the Australian drag scene was so well known for.
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While early 90s drag in America was still relegated to ball culture and Vegas-style celebrity impersonators, the drag scene of Sydney had been booming since the early 60s. Infamous performers like Cindy Pastel, Pat Gently, and Carlotta fused cabaret, dance, lip-synching, and, of course, outrageous costumes to create lavish performances to sold-out audiences in the nightclub district of Kings Cross. By the time Priscilla came along, drag culture was intrinsically synonymous with Australia.
Despite the local acceptance of drag culture, Australia was far from a progressive place for LGBT rights in the 80s and 90s. Homosexuality was only decriminalised in New South Wales in 1984 (being gay was still technically a criminal act in Tasmania until 1997) and gay hate crimes were rampant in Sydney, particularly as AIDS paranoia took hold. It’s why Priscilla represented a landmark moment for Australian cinema, which had all but shunned films of the LGBT genre to this point.
For those unfamiliar with the film, Priscilla is the story of three drag performers who board the titular rundown bus for an epic 3,000km journey from Sydney to Alice Springs. Where Tick (Hugo Weaving) aka Mitzi Del Bra has accepted an offer to perform at the local casino managed by a figure from his past. Joining Tick (who’s hiding a secret that’s sure to snatch plenty of wigs) are fellow entertainers Adam (Guy Pearce) aka Felicia Jollygoodfellow, a hot-headed 20-something with a knack for landing himself in trouble. And Bernadette (Terence Stamp), an aging transgender woman and former Les Girls performer looking for anything to take her mind off her recently departed partner.
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Along the trek across the rust-coloured Outback, the trio meets a variety of local characters through various rural Aussie towns. Most of whom have unsurprisingly never laid eyes on a drag queen in their life. When Priscilla breaks down in the middle of the desert, the group is saved by endearing mechanic Bob (Aussie acting royalty Bill Hunter), who, much to the delight of Bernadette, unexpectedly joins the trio for the rest of the journey.
There’s naturally a hefty helping of glittery performances and eccentric outfits along the way. Including an impromptu concert for a group of local Indigenous Australians, and that now-iconic moment where Felicia rides a six-foot-tall stiletto atop the bus while lipsynching to Verdi’s La Traviata. But writer/director Stephan Elliott injects several brutal moments of reality, where the group are subjected to homophobic abuse and threats of violence. Culminating in their tour bus vandalised with the words “AIDS FUCKERS GO HOME.”
It’s in these situations that Elliott addresses the pertinent fear facing the LGBT community. Particularly those brave enough to dress in drag without ever knowing how it will be met by those around them. It’s a film that addressed the state of homophobia around the world and the hatred, discrimination, and abuse so many in the community were experiencing on a daily basis. Elliott may have crafted a glitzy extravaganza, but he also managed to pack a powerful punch with his message regarding the shameful treatment of a community who lived with the constant dread that homophobia was never far away.
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However, for all its extravagance and excess, Priscilla is ultimately the simple story of the voyage of self-discovery of three lost souls looking for meaning in a world that continually shuns them. Tick is heading to Alice Springs to face a secret from his past he’s been running from for almost a decade. The bereaved Bernadette is searching for a future without the man who’s been by her side for years. And Adam’s brash confidence is secretly masking a tortured childhood that’s caused debilitating internalised homophobia. When you dig beneath the sequins and glitter, Priscilla is a universal tale of self-acceptance that doesn’t just strike a chord with those in the gay community.
That’s entirely why Priscilla became the remarkable success that has stood the test of time. It didn’t just play well with gay audiences. Or even Australian audiences, for that matter. It worked on multiple levels for audiences around the world. While there is an undeniable Aussie flavour to the film and several jokes and references may not have landed as successfully with foreign viewers, Priscilla spoke to anyone who’s ever found themselves at a crossroads in their life. And slyly pushed for tolerance and acceptance of the gay community in the process.
Made on a shoestring budget of just $2 million, Priscilla was a box office sensation in Australia. Where it still stands as one of the highest-grossing and most-profitable local films of all time. The film was an unexpected hit in America and quickly became a cult classic, particularly amongst the gay community.
It even managed to waltz away with an Academy Award for Best Costume Design for Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner’s spectacular creations, which, staggeringly, were created with a budget of just $10,000. It remains the last contemporary film to win this category and Gardiner infamously made a huge splash at the ceremony by fittingly wearing an eccentric dress made entirely of American Express gold cards.
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26 years later and the legacy of Priscilla still shines as brightly as a disco ball. The film was adapted into a successful 2006 musical that’s ventured everywhere from Broadway to the West End and beyond. It continually pops up on television and often receives special screenings around the globe. And, with the success of RuPaul’s Drag Race, it’s popularity has seen a rebirth amongst younger audiences looking to devour anything and everything drag-related.
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert heralded a new age of Australian cinema that celebrated our unique culture in daring new ways. It stood as a landmark portrayal of the LGBT community that brought queer culture to mainstream audiences long before American cinema caught on. A riotous and ridiculously entertaining romp, it’s a film that’s endlessly rewatchable that encourages its audience to live life as loud and proud as you possibly can. Long live Priscilla, Australia’s very own drag superstar.
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is available to stream right now on YouTube.
fantastic review. Makes me want to see it again