Community & Business
30 March, 2022
Priscilla heads north
AMATEUR thespians have entertained people in the Douglas Shire at least since the 1970s.
Initially using various names such as the Port Douglas Players and Troubadours, they performed wherever a venue could be found, including hotel ballrooms, foyers and restaurants.
In 1982, the Douglas Theatre Arts Group was formed and although this was the beginning of a much more organised operation, the group were still without a permanent home.
Ten years later, they finally achieved this with the Clink Theatre, where they have since remained.
This came about partly due to lucky timing but also as a result of some very imaginative thinking. In 1991, the old Mossman courthouse, a sturdy wooden structure, was due to be replaced and the Douglas Shire Council needed someone to take it off their hands. A suggestion was made to move it somewhere else and turn it into a theatre, so the building was transported down the Cook Highway to where it now stands in Mowbray Street, Port Douglas.
Basically, the old police lock-up was transformed into the majestic Clink Theatre, now seating up to 120 people for a much more pleasurable stay.
The latest offering, due to start on March 31, is Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. This juke- box musical was adapted from Stephan Elliot’s 1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
The original film, which was a worldwide hit, follows two drag queens and a transgender woman, as they journey across the Australian Outback from Sydney to Alice Springs in a lavender tour bus named ‘Priscilla’.
The musical, which debuted at the Lyric Theatre, Sydney in October 2006, tells a similar story where the trio are contracted to perform a drag show at a resort in Alice Springs. As they head west from Sydney, they encounter a number of strange characters, as well as incidents of homophobia.
The musical incorporates numerous well known pop songs, so you will definitely want to sing along whilst having a giggle.
All volunteers at the Clink Theatre are proudly amateurs, however the standard of every aspect, from the actors, lighting, costume, producers and directors is as good as any capital city theatre.
Visit www.clinktheatre.com.au or call 4015 3216 for details and bookings.
