The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

See Priscilla as you've never seen it before, performed with a live shadow cast of local drag queens Lazy Susan, Zelda Moon, Pashion Couture and Art Simone.

Glistening with glitter and iconic pop songs, this beloved Australian classic follows two drag queens (Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce) and a trans woman (Terence Stamp) as they set off from Sydney to Alice Springs to perform drag shows on the road. Travelling aboard their beloved bus Priscilla, the trio cross the outback, encountering both hostility and unexpected kindness along the way.

Curator's note
A moving story of friendship and self-expression, Priscilla is a landmark in queer cinema, helping to push drag into the cultural mainstream and influencing how drag performers would be represented in film and pop culture for decades to come, capturing the artistry of drag culture at a time when queer stories were still rarely seen on screen. Bold and deeply heartfelt, the film remains an iconic celebration of identity, performance and being unapologetically yourself.

Shadow casts have a long and beloved history in queer and drag culture, most famously through screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, transforming cinema into a shared experience.

For one night only, join us in ACMI Cinemas to see the film come alive during a live shadow screening with performances by drag queens Lazy Susan, Zelda Moon, Pashion Couture and Art Simone, who will lip sync to the iconic songs in the film.