Glitterballs abound as the much-vaunted Priscilla Queen of the Desert musical comedy had the audience totally under their spell. They would have forgiven anything - including the late start.

Based on the 1994 Oscar-winning, cult classic film with Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving and Guy Pierce, the performance is high-octane - from the scene setter in the Cock-A-Too Nightclub - to the resplendent finale.

Playing out the themes of the enduring survival of love, friendship and acceptance in the face of prejudice, homophobia and adversity, are Kevin Clifton (Strictly Come Dancing) as drag queen Tick/Mitzi, and Adèle Anderson as Bernadette, a transgender woman.

My brightest star of the evening was ensemble performer, Fionan O’Carroll. Standing in for Nick Hayes as the loud, flamboyant and often obnoxious drag queen Adam/Felicia, he totally smashed it.

A supremely talented actor, dancer and singer, his timing, nuances and depth and breadth of delivery were excellent and the effusive applause and raft of cheers he elicited richly deserved.

The theme is well known and well-loved. Tick enlists Mitzi and Adam to join him on a marathon 3,000 kilometres road trip from Sydney to Alice Springs to help out his ex-wife, Marion, by performing at the casino she runs. He will also see his nine-year-old son Benji for the first time.

For Tick, who has procrastinated facing his young boy and anxious at how his son will react to his father, this is an emotional journey wrought with apprehension.

The trio embark on a trip packed with shenanigans and mishaps – their mode of transport is Priscilla, a battered old bus dressed up with bling curtains.

A desert romance blossoms between Bob the mechanic and Bernadette when the inevitable happens and the bus breaks down. Like love-struck teenagers, they walk hand-in-hand into the sunset complete with champagne - very corny but somewhat endearing.

The darker elements of the plot are manifested when Adam is brutally beaten up for brazenly venturing into the toughest bar in the desert in a skimpy sparkling dress.

His distress is palpable as he processes his emotions in his own journey of self-discovery and we breathe freely again when, bruised but indefatigable, he rebounds stronger from the setback.

Thirty plus 80s and 90s disco anthems - including ‘Hot Stuff’, ‘It’s Raining Men’, ‘I Will Survive’, ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ and ‘Finally’ - keep the performance pulsating. The live band directed by Richard Atkinson, also on keyboard, is suburb.

A dazzling array of over 100 sequined costumes designed by Strictly Come Dancing designer Vicky Gill and her team powerfully blend glamour with functionality and strongly symbolise the pivotal elements of pride and self-expression.

It is an absolute pleasure to be the costume designer for this vibrant and iconic show. I was completing a course in fashion when the film came out and I remember how much it filled us all with such a sense of freedom and joy. In live theatre, every sequin, feather, stitch, and silhouette helps tell the story in real time, right before the audience’s eyes. Bringing this glamorous and fabulous world to life through costume is a dream come true and an incredibly rewarding challenge.

While underwhelmed with some of the casting decisions, including Adèle Anderson as Bernadette, my number two standout after Fionan O’Carroll as Adam was Isabella Glanzig Santos.

Starring as Bob’s vivacious and manipulative wife Cynthia, a former lap dancer, she erupts into a fireball of dance and song when unashamedly interrupting the trio’s guest performance at a desert club.

While parts of the show were patchy and uncoordinated - and missed opportunities included giving Kevin Clifton the stage to showcase his dancing prowess - the musical's 30th anniversary production is a surefire winner.

Directed by Olivier Award nominee Ian Talbot with choreography by Matt Cole and set and lighting design from Andrew Exeter, this sassy and brassy toe-tapping crowd-pleaser erupted with standing ovations and rapturous applause.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal until Saturday, April 12. Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.

For details of the UK tour which includes Sheffield Lyceum Theatre and Bradford Alhambra visit here