Review: THE DIANA MIXTAPE, Here at Outernet
Photo credit: Harry Elletson
Combine all your favourite pop bangers, a serving of camp royalty realness and headline acts Kitty Scott-Claus, Rosé, Courtney Act, Divina De Campo and Priyanka, and you get Christopher D. Clegg's quirky jukebox musical The Diana Mixtape.
And yes, all five Drag Race stars play Diana…
As expected, The Diana Mixtape doesn't take itself too seriously and there's plenty of tongue in cheek raunchy humour designed to provoke cheers and jeers from the crowd. One of its main strengths is the use of the ensemble to not only tie the scenes together, but also impress with slick and sexy choreography throughout. The chemistry and camaraderie between the five Dianas is also a nice touch and like every successful girl band, each bring their own slight costume variation of Di's persona to the stage.
The show does a good job of distributing Diana’s most poignant moments, each headliner getting more than enough time to shine on stage as we are taken on a whirlwind tour of the late Princess’s life in the public eye. Stand-out moments include Kitty Scott-Claus’ spot-on Diana mannerisms and Rosé’s exceptional vocals, most notably during her emotional rendition of JADE’s hit song ‘Angel Of My Dreams’ whilst being dressed in Diana’s iconic wedding gown. In a show which doesn't quite know what it's trying to be, this scene feels as close to a well-staged theatrical moment as you're going to get.
Where the show unfortunately lets itself down is in the sound department, with the cast visibly stumbling through cue errors and failing microphones. Luckily, the fun and relaxed tone of the show allows for these kind of slip ups, although at times, it was difficult to watch the performers struggle to be heard clearly on stage. Any brief moments of dialogue were easily lost and it felt a shame to have the vocal talents of Keala Settle (of The Greatest Showman fame) drowned out by a booming bassline. Ever the professional though, her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II is top notch, earning her a standing ovation from an adoring audience, and deservingly so. Supporting cast members Noel Sullivan and Lucinda Lawrence are undeniably talented and do their best to elevate the show to 'musical' status, giving caricature portrayals of Charles and Camilla. The show is worth seeing for Camilla's entrance and cigarette smoking choreography alone.
Sadly, the drag names who draw in a crowd seem to find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place; trying to emulate a gimmicky yet respectful version of the People’s Princess whilst also maintaining their own uniqueness which makes them so beloved. The Diana Mixtape falls short of delivering anything revolutionary, feels drawn out and underdeveloped, however, if you're looking for a show to sing along to, it does provide enough light entertainment for a fun night out.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Chess Hayden
The Diana Mixtape plays at HERE at Outernet until 10 August, with further info here.
