Adèle Anderson to play Bernadette in UK and Ireland tour of PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT

It has been announced 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 upcoming 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 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, and 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.

Following Manchester, the tour will visit Glasgow, Liverpool, Southampton, Birmingham, Norwich, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Nottingham, Aylesbury, Woking, Canterbury, Belfast, Dublin, Brighton, Leicester, Bradford, and Truro.

Further casting will be announced in due course.

To book tickets for Priscilla Queen of the Desert at select touring venues, please click here.