A ROYAL RIOT OF POP, DRAG, AND CAMPY CHAOS

By Tanya Howard | Founder, The Live Review London · @glamglitzlondon ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Press Invite

You had me at Diana meets Britney meets Gaga meets Drag Royalty. That alone should give you an idea of the level of theatrical madness you’re walking into with The Diana Mixtape. Five drag queens playing Diana. Keala Settle as Queen Elizabeth II. A soundtrack of pure pop brilliance. And the fiercest group of dancers I’ve seen in a long time. It’s loud, proud, camp, and a whole lot of fun.

The show is framed as a concert meets biopic hybrid, with very little plot in the traditional sense. Instead, we move through Diana’s story via banger after banger, big vocals and even bigger costume moments. Dialogue is minimal and mostly there to link the next number, which totally works when the music is this good. Kylie, Ariana, Ava Max, Meghan Trainor… It’s a pop girlies playlist with a crown on top.

Each queen brought something unique to the role of Diana. Priyanka? Easily the best dancer. The worst British accent by far, but full props for calling it out before anyone else could. Self-aware comedy gold. Kitty-Scott Claus nailed Diana’s softness and charisma, and her rendition of Lucky was one of my faves. Rose’s vocals? Unreal. You could see exactly why she landed the ballads; she delivered every note like her life depended on it.

WHEN DRAG MEETS ROYALTY, THE ONLY RULE IS: GO BIG, GO BOLD, AND LEAVE THE AUDIENCE GAGGED

Courtney Act got the outfit moment of the night with the iconic revenge dress reveal. The audience was gagged. The other queens followed with their own takes on the look, but honestly, once Courtney dropped that reveal, the bar had been set high. That said, my personal favourite overall? Divina De Campo. The range. The stage presence. The total command of the stage.

And then there were the dancers. They ATE. Like, someone feed me because the way they chewed up that choreography and left no crumbs, just wow. So sharp, so expressive, so locked in. Massive credit to choreographer Taz Hoesli, whose vision was brought to life flawlessly by a cast of dancers who did not miss. There were moments where I found myself watching over the main cast, and that says a lot. They were that good!

Keala Settle as Queen Elizabeth II (aka Lizzie to me) was an absolute scene stealer. Seeing her live? Bucket list moment ticked off. Her vocals are next level. Seeing her sing Mother by Meghan Trainor, dressed as Lizzie in her hunting getup, telling off Charles? Iconic. Lucinda Lawrence and Noel Sullivan as Camilla and Charles added the perfect dose of royal ridiculousness. They knew exactly what they were doing and leaned all the way in. Comedy gold with a royal twist.

SHE MAY BE THE PEOPLE’S PRINCESS, BUT THE VENUE IS PRICED FOR ROYALTY

A few notes for the uninitiated: this isn’t high-brow theatre. It’s a pop-fuelled fever dream. HERE at Outernet is modern but spenny! Lockers cost £8 to £11 (insanity!!), and drinks aren’t much kinder. If you’re in the short crew like me, I’d recommend booking a seat. Standing at the back might leave you craning your neck. Don’t let that put you off though, just a heads-up so you can plan ahead and enjoy it properly. You can thank me later.

Overall, The Diana Mixtape is exactly what it promises to be: a loud, proud, glittering spectacle. It’s not here to educate or reinvent the wheel; it’s here to entertain. A full-throttle, pop-drenched drag tribute to the People’s Princess that leaves you dancing, laughing, and a little bit gagged. Long live Queen Di. All five of her.

The Diana Mixtape is running at HERE at Outernet until Sunday 10 August, before sashaying up north to The Lowry in Salford.

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Photo Credit: Harry Elletson