Photo: Harry Elletson
Succeeding a world premiere in London, The Diana Mixtape makes a Royal Visit to the North for a limited, three-day run.
This concert-style jukebox of a Di-opic declares a need “to set the record straight”, centring on the People’s Princess’ turbulent relationship with Charles the Third. Five drag queens share the titular role as they blast through a contemporary pop playlist of female anthems.
It starts out strong with the queens delivering fast-paced, irreverent comedy as a lovestruck Lady Di meets her future husband for the first time. Well-chosen songs promptly introduce the audience to other characters: Elizabeth II- played by Keala Settle- rules the stage with Commander. Meanwhile, the sensational Lucinda Lawrence demands undivided attention as Camilla singing Poison.
Lawrence’s The One That Got Away duet with Charles (portrayed by a humorously overzealous Noel Sullivan) is wonderfully diverting, their relationship reminiscent of &Juliet’s comical Angelique and Lance Du Bois pairing. Awkwardly, as if in real life, Charles and Camilla steal Diana’s limelight.
A more serious shift in tone leads to more ballads than bops, causing the show to falter. Microphones cutting out, lighting issues and inconsistent music volumes throughout suggest a lack of a tech rehearsal, but the performers wittily navigate these hiccups with professionalism.
The wide Lyric stage is furnished with mostly unessential backing dancers, whose choreography is often as bland as their outfits. A pre-show message divulged that this venue is larger than what was used before, confirming that The Diana Mixtape is better suited to a more intimate space.
Divina De Campo’s natural stage presence reigns supreme; they stand out in every group number with slick moves and a compelling voice. Courtney Act too is a vocal powerhouse, and Priyanka’s rendition of Boss Bitch while marching on a folding treadmill and holding up references to some of Diana’s iconic moments makes for peak theatre. More of this serving silly sass over sombreness, please.
The queens go all out in the revenge dress setlist, which would work better as a medley rather than five full length tracks. Cutting out some “filler” songs (including the awful Physical/Bad Guy mashup) would further streamline the piece. Shout Out to My Ex, though, makes for a perfectly fitting finale.
5 Dianas in drag are better than 1!
The Diana Mixtape continues at The Lowry, Salford until 21st August with tickets available from https://thelowry.com/whats-on/the-diana-mixtape-1v3r
Reviewer: Scot Cunningham
Reviewed: 19th August 2025
North West End UK Rating:
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