The New York-based Australian performer will reprise the role of Bernadette in the 10th anniversary production.

Tony Sheldon is ready to shake his groove thing once more when he returns to the role of Bernadette in the musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert for the 10th aniversary production touring Australia next year.

^{Tony Sheldon as Bernadette. Photograph courtesy of the Michael Cassel Group}

Sheldon, who is now based in New York, was involved in the early workshops of the Australian musical based on Stephan Elliott’s 1994 film, in which Terence Stamp played Bernadette – one of three Sydney queens who hire a bus called Priscilla to take them to Alice Springs for a very special performance.

Sheldon played the role in the original Australian production, and has since frocked up more than 1750 times, playing Bernadette in the West End and on Broadway. Along the way he has won a Sydney Theatre Award, a Green Room Award and a GLUG Award, as well as nominations for Helpmann, Olivier and Tony Awards.

He has lived in New York since moving there for the Broadway production. Now 62, he will return home to hop back on the famous pink bus when the 10th anniversary production opens in Melbourme in January ahead of seasons in Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane.

David Harris, who is also based in the US, will play drag queen Tick – played by Hugo Weaving in the film – who has a surprise in store for his travelling companions when they reach Alice Springs. Harris is well known to Australian audiences for his perforamnces as Chris in Miss Saigon, Fiyero in Wicked and Emmett Forest in Legally Blonde.

Euan Doidge will play Felicia, the youngest of the three queens. Doidge joins Priscilla having had experience frocking up as one of the Angels in Kinky Boots in which he has also been understudying the lead role of Lola. He played Marius in the recent Australian production of Les Misérables and has also performed in Anything Goes, The Producers, A Chorus Line and Legally Blonde.

^{The Australian production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Photograph courtesy of the Michael Cassel Group}

Priscilla is a joyous, hilarious, heart-warming musical with more than 500 dazzling costumes designed by Lizzy Gardiner and Tim Chappel, a set featuring the bus by Brian Thomson, and a pumping score featuring numerous disco hits including It’s Raining Men, I Will Survive, I Love the Nightlife, Go West and Finally. Simon Phillips, who directed the original production, returns to helm the show.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert plays at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre from January 21 2018

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