Ray Meagher Joins PRISCILLA in West End Tonight, 10/26

Tonight, 26 October 2010, as Ray Meagher, best known on television for playing Alf Stewart in the long running Australian soap Home and Away, officially joins the West End cast of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical as in Toronto, Canada, the North American production of the show celebrates its opening night.

Meagher joins Don Gallagher as Bernadette, Ben Richards as Tick and Oliver Thornton as Adam in the Olivier award-winning musical which today announces a further extension to performances, taking bookings at the Palace Theatre in London's West End, up to 7 January 2012.

Australian born Ray Meagher's acting career has spanned a period of over 35 years on film, television and stage and is best known for playing the role of Alf Stewart in the Australian soap Home and Away, a role which he has played since the first episode of the series in 1988. Earlier this year Meagher won the Gold Logie Award for the Most Popular Personality on Australian Television. In 2007 he joined the Australian cast of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical to play Bob in the original Sydney production. Meagher has worked extensively in pantomime throughout the UK, most recently playing Captain Hook in Peter Pan in Tumbridge Wells. His extensive Australia theatre credits include work for Queensland Theatre Company and the Adelaide Festival. His many film credits include Breaker Morant, The Chamberlain Report and Mail Order Bride.

Based on the Oscar® award-winning film and written by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical tells the story of Tick, Bernadette and Adam, a glamorous Sydney-based performing trio who agree to take their show to the middle of the Australian outback.

Priscilla is a heart-warming, uplifting adventure of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship and end up finding more than they could ever have dreamed. With a dazzling array of outrageous costumes and featuring a score of dance-floor classics, Priscilla is a sensational journey to the heart of fabulous.

Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical had its world premiere in Sydney in October 2006 and has subsequently wowed audiences and critics alike in Melbourne and New Zealand, becoming the most successful Australian musical of all time. After a return Sydney season due to popular demand, the London production now celebrates its second year in the West End as the Toronto production opens with plans for a Broadway transfer to open early 2011. Further international dates are also in discussion for productions in Brazil, Scandinavia and Germany.

Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical is written by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott. Direction is by Simon Phillips, Choreography is by Ross Coleman, Musical Supervision and Arrangements by Stephen ‘Spud' Murphy and Production Design is by BrIan Thomson. Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner have re-created their Oscar®-winning Costume Designs, which were originally designed for the film. BAFTA Award winning Make Up design is recreated by Cassie Hanlon. Lighting is designed by Nick Schlieper and Sound design by Michael Waters.

Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical is produced in London by Liz Koops and Garry McQuinn for Back Row Productions, Michael Hamlyn for Specific Films, Allan Scott, John Frost, Michael Chugg, David Mirvish and The Really Useful Group, in association with MGM On Stage, Darcie Denkert and Dean Stolber, based on the Latent Image/Specific Films Motion Picture, distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.

Back Row Productions UK Ltd is working in partnership with Beverly Hills Bakery London to provide all the baked goods for our Priscilla Parties. Founded in 1990 in Knightsbridge, Beverly Hills Bakery offers an exclusive worldwide gift delivery service of the finest American baked goods. They are the exclusive manufacturers of the Priscilla Queen of the Desert Cupcake - please see www.beverlyhillsbakery.com for more info.

Photo Credit: Tristram Kenton