On Wednesday 31 October 2018, Australian theatre royalty, Tony Sheldon will celebrate his 2000 show milestone in Priscilla Queen of the Desert as sassy desert queen, Bernadette.
Tony returned to reprise the role of Bernadette for the 2018 Australian tour; a role that earnt him both Tony® and Olivier® nominations.
Born in Brisbane into one of Australia’s leading theatrical families, Tony took to the stage at an early age, joining the cast of Graham Kennedy’s In Melbourne Tonight at the age of seven.
Speaking to the role of Bernadette, Tony says it is a role he will never tire of.
“It’s a road movie so you’re always in a different place, meeting different characters.”
“If I come to the show every night as though I don’t know the story, and just let it happen, the story dictates keeping it fresh. That’s how I’ve done it; I keep myself open and let it happen anew every night.”
“She’s such a well-rounded character; she’s a mother, a showgirl, a bitch, she’s hilarious, she sings, she dances, she wears fantastic costumes. Over 12 years, I’ve found a lot of different aspects to Bernadette”, said Mr Sheldon.
To mark the milestone at today’s matinee in QPAC’s Lyric Theatre, fellow Queenslander and acting royalty Ray Meagher will pay tribute to Tony.
After playing 135 cities in 29 different countries around the world, Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical sashays out of the Lyric Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) on Sunday 4 November 2018, concluding the 2018 Australian tour production.
Based on the Oscar-winning Australian film, Priscilla Queen of the Desert is the hilarious story of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus in Sydney bound for Alice Springs to put on the show of a lifetime. The 1994 film starring Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce remains one of Australia’s most successful films and soundtracks of all-time with a swag of awards in the trophy cabinet, including an Oscar for Best Costume Design.
The quintessentially Aussie story about mateship, self-discovery and acceptance was translated from screen to stage by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, directed by Simon Phillips, with the film’s acclaimed costume designers Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner onboard, alongside stage designer Brian Thomson and co-choreographers Andrew Hallsworth and legendary Ross Coleman.
Priscilla Queen of the Desert is presented by Michael Cassel Group and Nullarbor Productions in association with MGM on Stage.