Soap legend Jason Donovan ready to reprise leading role at Playhouse

He will certainly give his fans ten good reasons to go to the theatre.

Neighbours legend and one-time hearthrob Jason Donovan is to appear in Priscilla Queen of the Desert as it comes to the Capital for the first time.

The show, which will run at the Playhouse Theatre from March to Aril next year, is the latest big production musical to hit the city.

The 44-year-old former soap star will reprise the role of Tick, who accepts an offer to perform his drag act at a Casino Resort managed by a friend.

Best known for playing Neighbours’ Scott Robinson and his subsequent music career Donovan, who last year reached the final of Strictly Come Dancing, has already appeared in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and played Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. His touring credits include Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music.

His appearance at the Playhouse will the first major Edinburgh production Donovan has appeared in since 1998, when he took on the role Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert will also star Richard Grieve, best known fas Jonny Foster in Emmerdale, who will play Bernadette and Grahame Weaver, who will play Felicia, which he played in the West End production of the show.

The musical, based on the 1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert starring Terence Stamp and Guy Pearce, tells the story of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship.

The musical features a dazzling array of outrageous costumes and a hit parade of dancefloor favourites including It’s Raining Men, Say a Little Prayer and Go West.

It originally opened in Australia in 2006 where it ran for two years before opening in the West End for a run of a further two years and has won numerous awards including the prestigious Olivier and Tony Awards for Best Costume Design.

For tickets call the Edinburgh Playhouse Box Office on 0844 871 3014 or visit www.atgtickets.com/edinburgh.