LET the sequins fly free, the Queens of the Outback are coming to town.
Fresh from a two-year stint working as a choreographer at the Venetian Casino in Macau, the multi-talented Simon Vowles has come up with a show inspired in the tradition of Priscilla Queen of the Desert and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything but with a twist – this is a mash-up musical.
Producer, creator, choreographer and performer Simon Vowles – along with promoter Andrew Malouf – has been working solidly on the concept for the past nine months, penning the story, organising the soundtrack and the musical mash-up, casting the perfect performers for the roles and much more.
No stranger to working on massive shows – Simon has previously been involved with Time Warp, Westside Story, Chicago and Grease – this was the first time he had undertaken all the roles, at once, by himself. It’s certainly been a labour of love creating a full show, complete with extravagant costumes, changing background footage and an incredible soundtrack that includes music from almost every genre.
“It is really fun,” Simon said.
“I love big costumes, I love the witty humour. There is such a fun element in this show and we’ve catered to everybody, straight people, gay people, everything in between people, and to every [musical] genre. My three words for this show are fun, fast and fabulous.
“It is a mash-up musical and for anyone who loves Glee or the Pitch Perfect type movies, this caters for everybody. It is layered music on music, it’s all very fast. I’ve tried to cover a whole variety of music genres so that everyone can feel a part of it.”
Queens of the Outback is much as the name suggests … some fantastic drag queens performing in the outback of Australia. The storyline is simple but addictive, three drag queens pack up their wares to head across the outback to perform at one of their daughter’s 16th birthday parties.
That’s not the half of it though, there are some hilarious experiences along the way including a temporary imprisonment, breakdowns, a little love story and many a minibar to be emptied. It’s a show jam-packed with fishnets, feathers, sequins and all things fabulous.
As for the music, Simon wasn’t joking when he said there was something for everyone. The soundtrack is incredibly diverse, with a mash-up of songs from Dolly Parton, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Tina Turner and even, since it’s an Australian musical, a little bit of Cold Chisel. “Because when you think big fabulous frocks, you think Jimmy Barnes … right?” laughs Simon.
Songs such as Dancing Queen, I Will Survive, Love Generation, We Are Family, Sweet Dreams, Ticket To Ride, Leaving on a Jet Plane and Khe Sanh are performed live by the talented cast.What: Queens Of The Outback
Where: Warwick RSL club
When: Sunday, 9 March
Interested: Contact the club for details.
