Other LPS volunteer wardens* and I recently attended the opening night of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at The Civic Theatre in Auckland.
Tickets were generously provided to NZNO by the production team. It was awesome meeting new faces, with delegates joining us from as far afield as Hamilton and Whangārei.
The evening began with photos outside the theatre, placards in hand—because why not? With drag queens, a red carpet and patrons dressed in dazzling outfits, the atmosphere was already buzzing.
Taking my seat, I was reminded of the magic of The Civic. Built in 1929, it is one of only seven atmospheric theatres left in the world. Its history is colourful—not least the Freda Stark, Thelma Trott and Eric Mareo love triangle of the 1930s that ended with Thelma’s murder.
Legend has it that certain seats come with ghostly encounters, an unexplained elbow bump, or the sound of laughter when no one is there.
The story follows two drag queens and a transgender woman as they journey through the outback in a bus loaded with sequins, feathers, and a giant shoe. It’s a comedic, heartfelt portrayal of what it means to be different in the world.
The curtain rose with three drag queens suspended from the proscenium, belting It’s Raining Men while male dancers in speedos worked the stage below. Priscilla herself was the star—literally centre stage—rotating and moving as the story demanded.
The show overflowed with feel-good songs, many drawn directly from the original film. The costumes were nothing short of extraordinary, including faithful reproductions from the movie—like the iconic jandal dress.
The pace of costume changes was jaw-dropping. Actors left the stage at the start of a number and reappeared moments later in entirely new looks, wigs and all, seamlessly joining the chorus. The sheer volume of costumes was astonishing. I’d love a peek backstage to see how the costume team keeps everything from descending into chaos.
The final scene exploded with music, colour, and movement—not just on stage but throughout the theatre, with sprays of light cast from multiple mirror balls. The entire audience was on their feet, dancing along.
Would I go again? Hell yes.
I want to thank the production for generously giving tickets to LPS captains and other unions.
It was great to see people come together as union members and be recognised for their work by the creative community. Unions also used to be social spaces, we had union halls and union balls. The night reminded me of this and made me think we need to bring that back: spaces where working people can come together, have fun, and be in community.
Let’s keep rallying, organising, and building community. New Zealand is watching, New Zealand is inspired—and who knows, you might even score some theatre tickets out of it.
*Volunteer wardens, or “captains” are NZNO delegates who oversee LPS during strikes, supporting members to provide only life-preserving services.
- This article was amended on September 9, 2025, to clarify the nurses were volunteer LPS wardens, not staff.