Venue: HERE @ Outernet 

Cast: Courtney Act, Kitty Scott Claus, Divina De Campo, Rose, Priyanka, Noel Sullivan, Keala Settle and Lucinda Lawrence

The Diana Mixtape is no ordinary theatre experience, but a musical/concert combo unlike anything you’ve seen before. With a star-studded cast that includes international drag royalty x5, Keala Settle, Noel Sullivan, and Lucinda Lawrence, who all take the stage by storm to set the record straight.

The set list oozes girl power, every track chosen, placed and arranged with precision and intention. The ‘brat’ inspired branding sets the stage for a celebration of queer pop icons, and that’s exactly what this show does.

Usually a musical uses song to help facilitate telling a story, whereas here, story was used as a vessel to get from one song to the next, usually a recipe for disaster in a show but works perfectly in this one. The five fabulous queens seamlessly switch in and out of the role of Princess Diana while telling her story through chart-topping pop songs.

Taz Hoesli’s choreography stole the spotlight on multiple occasions, performed by both the main cast, and the five insanely talented dancers that make up the ensemble.

Another stand out element for me was the absolutely killer costumes, designed by River Smith, perfectly replicating all of Princess Diana’s iconic looks; including a gorgeous rendition of JADE’s ‘Angel Of My Dreams’ is performed by Rosé during which Lady Di’s wedding dress is recreated from pieces live on stage. All the Queens get their fierce moment in the revenge dress, performing numbers including Beyoncé’s ‘Freakum Dress’ and ‘Boss Bitch’ by Doja Cat.

The song ‘Poison’ by Nicole Scherzinger introduces Lucinda Lawrence as Camilla, which shifts the feel of the show slightly and sits very well with the audience. Lucinda Lawrence pulls off this villain role with comedic perfection, and her on stage chemistry with Noel Sullivan as the now King Charles is palpable.

Keala Settle is perfect for the role of Queen Elizabeth, opening her role with the song ‘Commander’ by Kelly Rowland and although she feels a little underused, her shining moment was her performance of Meghan Trainor’s ‘Mother’.

Press night did face some tech issues, especially where sound was concerned, but the cast played it off brilliantly in character and it honestly did not affect my enjoyment of the show, although it may have been more noticeable for those further back in the standing section. For the price of the tickets, it’s a shame to see that the layout of the venue doesn’t seem to have been all that well thought through. The stage is very low, and the seating area is not raked, meaning sight lines aren’t always great unless you pay for seating at the VIP tables or are able to use the standing area and get there early enough to ensure a space at the front.

Behind all the gimmicks, stunts and comedy gags is an incredibly talented cast, and while everyone has their own moments to shine, the success of the show is attributed to how flawlessly the cast fuse as a team. There is nothing remotely serious about this show, just pure camp fun. The Diana Mixtape is a perfectly fitting tribute to the People’s Princess that Lady Di herself would’ve loved.

You can check out The Diana Mixtape at HERE at Outernet until August 10th before it heads

to The Lowry.

You can book tickets to The Diana Mixtape Musical, here.

Review by Rachel