The Diana Mixtape Musical at HERE at Outernet Review
Written by Philip for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
‘The Diana Mixtape’ by Christopher D. Clegg roars into London with so much pizzazz. It guides us through the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, from meeting Charles in her younger years to her untimely death. We watch the first date, the royal engagement, the royal wedding, the affairs, the infighting, the scandals, the interviews, the revenge, and the moments before the end. But the twist is that the story is told by 5 incredible drag queens.
This musical is camp, sassy, and fierce; however, with the occasional technical snag. Clegg’s creation is bold and witty. Drag is an art form that often allows for comedy that most others wouldn’t get away with. Many moments caused a giggle. The humour is sassy and cutting and savage, and it had me smiling throughout.
The assembled cast of Queens who took on the role of Diana all had their strengths. Some took a little more warming up though when it comes to vocals or choreography. They each brought their own personality to Diana, colouring different parts of her life. Courtney Act was sensational. Divina De Campo was divine. Kitty Scott-Claus was wonderful. Priyanka was fabulous. Rosé was fantastic. Collectively, they are very funny indeed. A supportive network of Dianas. Keala Settle appears as Queen Elizabeth II, and in my opinion, is criminally underused. She only appears in a few of the numbers, but those were knockouts. Her voice is outstanding, and her comedy bones shone through. Noel Sullivan and Lucille Lawrence were just as good as the rest in their roles of Charles and Camilla, the villains of the show. They were rip-roaringly funny and also in very fine voice - however, they too felt underused at times.
Sadly, though, there were a few issues that let this production down. The first is that the layout of the space was a mixture of seating and standing, with a big standing section towards the back of the venue. This does add to the concert vibe, but unfortunately means audience members miss parts of the action due to a sea of heads and taller people in front of them. Unfortunately, the sound quality in the venue wasn’t the best either. There were many times when performers were struggling to be heard over much louder music, either in song or used as underscoring. I’m not sure if this was an issue around the whole venue, but there certainly was where I was standing. Elements of the show also seemed a little under-rehearsed. It just wasn’t as slick as it should have been. Of course, mistakes are part of live theatre and they do happen; however, when they impact the quality of the show, it is a shame.
‘The Diana Mixtape’ is most definitely a good night out don’t get me wrong! It is flamboyant and camp and a real good laugh and with some simple tweaks, it could be made even better. I’m sure some of the technical issues with smooth out over the run. It would be interesting to see how a different venue affects the show. I would love to see ‘The Diana Mixtape’ back in London as I had a hoot!
‘The Diana Mixtape’ runs at Here at Outernet until 10th August before transferring to the Lowry 19th - 21st August
★ ★ ★
