The Works：LGBTQI Special: "Spectrosynthesis" exhibition in Taiwan & "The Adventures of Priscilla, Qu

Hello and welcome to the new season of The Works. Behind us on this first show you can see the iconic bus, “Priscilla”, the centrepiece of the movie and now the stage show “Priscilla Queen of the Desert”. That should give you some clue that we’re devoting this week’s show to art centred on gender, and more specifically, LGBTQI culture.
Later, Mitzi, Felicia and Bernadette the divas of “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” will take us on a road trip across the Australian outback. In homage to one particular scene in the movie Ben’s even wearing his purple shirt. “It’s not purple. It’s lavender.” But before we head down under, we’re taking a trip to Taiwan, which is not only on track to lead the way in Asia in acceptance of gay marriage, but is also providing the venue for an exhibition on LGBTQI culture co-organised by a Hong Kong-based businessman and the Taipei Museum of Contemporary Art.
Released in 1994, the low-budget Australian comedy, “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” not only became a smash hit movie internationally, it also brought LGBTQI issues front and centre in mainstream cinema. And did we also mention it’s very funny, with plenty of snappy one liners, great dance numbers, and costumes to die for? No surprise then that it went on to become a long-running musical stage show. The movie’s writer and director, Stephan Elliott, was in Hong Kong last week. We caught up with him.
As we said before the break, Stephan Elliott’s “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” is an often funny and sometimes poignant film about two drag queens and one transgender woman on tour across the Australian Outback from Sydney to Alice Springs. Made on a very low budget, the movie became an international phenomenon, and one that for the most part leant itself to a stage version, which debuted in Australia in 2006. It’s not so easy to get the outback on stage after all. The award-winning show is currently on in Hong Kong and features more than 500 costumes and 200 headdresses. So without further ado, we’re happy to introduce to you Mitzi, Felicia, and Bernadette.