A dazzling show of drag acts on the road

DAZZLING costumes. . . from left, Gary Jones McCaw, Dawn Leigh, John Wood, Kerry Newton, Paul Hodgkinson

PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT

(Congress Players at Oldham Coliseum to Saturday)

BACK in 1979 Congress Players burst on a tired Oldham operatic society scene and blew the doors off with a spirited Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Through the years since, Congress has had highs and lows, but this one is a solid, sparkly winner from first to last, and the most complete show I've seen Congress perform in recent years.

It's a bit rough round the edges, some of the singing isn't quite there and it is a little dark, but when it matters this cast pulls together and sings its heart out, led by three strong central performances and engaging support.

The Eighties soundtrack of pop hits doesn't hurt either, from Dionne Warwick to John Denver and from the Weather Girls to - gawd 'elp us - Richard Harris's MacArthur Park - all blasted out by a terrific band led by Paul Firth.

And anyone who loves colour and costume will probably get a bit breathless at the sheer fabulousness of the spectacle, with outfits that look like they have come from a professional touring production.

For those still catching up on this stage version of the movie, three Aussie drag queens drive a bus from Sydney to Alice Springs so central character Tick (Gary Jones-McCaw) can see his six-year-old son - the result of a mistaken marriage - for the first time, a prospect that unnerves him.

Tick's friends are ageing transsexual and former drag star Bernadette (John Wood, who also directs strongly), and spoilt semi-rich attention-seeker Adam (Paul Hodgkinson). Their journey takes them through Australia's equivalent of hick towns and backwoods roads. They are beaten, meet strange characters and chance on mechanic Bob (John Whitehead) who keeps them on the straight and narrow but loses his heart to Bernadette. In Alice the three are a hit, Tick meets young Benji and wonders why he was so worried.

The large cast performs with great gusto and the three leads are engagingly camp, Hogkinson in particular projecting a degree of outrageous vulnerability. The show is also enlivened by the presence of Kerry Newton, Dawn Leigh and Lizy Oakes as a trio of singing divas whose powerhouse vocals are a real highlight. It's very enjoyable.