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All aboard Priscilla, the budget Barbie camper!
Directed by Stephan Elliott, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert stars Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce and Terence Stamp as two drag queens and a trans woman who journey across the Australian outback in a bus named Priscilla.
With an unashamedly queer sensibility that was groundbreaking in the mid-1990s, the film conquered with a global mainstream audience and won an Oscar for Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner's iconic costumes. Priscilla spawned a best-selling soundtrack, stage musicals, reality programs and countless drag shows, and continues to be discovered by new generations.
In 2024, Elliott finally announced plans for a film sequel, telling Deadline 'It’s the 30th anniversary... and it’s time for Priscilla’s final adventure to get made'.
Pictured: Stephan Elliott and Guy Pearce on location with 'Priscilla'. Photo: Elise Lockwood
Creating the costumes: the Green Dress
Oscar-winning costumes designed by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner are now preserved in the NFSA collection. Chappel visited the NFSA in 2014 to talk about their creations, including the sequined green dress worn in the film by Hugo Weaving.
Academy Award-winning costume designer Tim Chappel discusses the inspiration behind several iconic looks from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. While visually extravagant, the film's costume budget was just AUD$20,000: 'Things looked good but they didn't feel very nice to wear'.
Chappel describes getting his start as a designer, making costumes for a drag queen troupe and performing as a back-up dancer while still in college. Looking back on the film after 20 years, he recalls making Priscilla as a great adventure, with the crew taking the same journey on location as the characters.
Green Dress
This costume, photographed as part of the NFSA collection, is a lime-green confectionary triumph, replete with a sequined body suit, silver iridescent frills and a lycra flamenco skirt.
Hugo Weaving
Images of Hugo Weaving in this costume – designed by Lizzy Gardiner and Tim Chappel – were used heavily in promotional materials for the film on its original release in 1994. Chappel loved the 'kooky' combination of army boots with couture and how the green looked against the desert colours.
Priscilla clip: 'Where are you blokes from?'
After a drunken night at a pub in Broken Hill, the three drag artists – Mitzi (Hugo Weaving), Felicia (Guy Pearce) and Bernadette (Terence Stamp) – awake to find their bus defaced with homophobic graffiti.
They leave upset, but Felicia cheers the day by practising her operatic lip syncing on the roof of their bus, Priscilla.
Please note: this clip includes coarse language
Courtesy: Latent Image Productions
Priscilla at the NFSA
Director Stephan Elliott visits the NFSA to make sure we hold the key components necessary for the film's ongoing preservation. Executive producer Rebel Penfold-Russell reflects on Priscilla's enduring and universal charm – 'At its core it’s got a family'.
Stephan Elliott
In Priscilla's 20th anniversary year (2014), director Stephan Elliott and executive producer Rebel Penfold-Russell came to the NFSA in Canberra to sort through their film's physical components.
Having not seen the actual film reels for years, Stephan and Rebel were delighted to view the old cans again.
Rebel Penfold-Russell
On Priscilla's universal charm: 'It’s both a fish-out-of-water story, and a road movie, which people tend to love. [Priscilla] has something to say to each generation that discovers it, and each country also brings its own flavour to the characters.'
Hugo Weaving and the Flip-flop Dress
The Flip-flop Dress (or Thong Dress to us Aussies) was one of the most memorable looks from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Worn by Hugo Weaving in the film, the costume is now preserved as part of the NFSA collection.
Hugo Weaving interview
In an exclusive interview with the NFSA in 2019, actor Hugo Weaving talks about the challenges of wearing the iconic thong dress from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) and what the costume revealed about his character.
Very difficult to wear, and impossible to sit down in, the costume demonstrates the lengths that Mitzi will go to get noticed. By incorporating the summer footwear of choice of Australian men, it also offers a political statement about what it means to be an Australian bloke.
Flip-flop Dress
This mod-inspired costume consists of an arrangement of flip-flops (thongs) and clever colour choice, and features Chanel gold-linked chain detailing. Due to a tight budget, costume designer Tim Chappel called on his mother’s staff discount at Target to buy the materials for a total sum of $7.00!
Hugo Weaving
The pink, orange and black mini-dress is made of rubber flip-flops (thongs), and was worn by Hugo Weaving (Anthony 'Tick' Belrose, AKA Mitzi Del Bra). The dress also has a matching pair of platform thongs and a handbag with gold chain.
Priscilla behind the scenes
Elise Lockwood took these photographs on location with The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994). Looking back, for Elise it’s the rare behind-the-scenes images that capture the true flavour of her Priscilla experience, a bonding 'wild ride' for cast and crew.
Terence Stamp, Guy Pearce and Hugo Weaving on the set of Priscilla, 1993. Photo: Elise Lockwood. NFSA title: 1489234
Guy Pearce and crew member on top of the Priscilla bus. Photo: Elise Lockwood. NFSA title: 1489067
Elise Lockwood (visible in the mirror) photographing Hugo Weaving in the costume trailer. Photo: Elise Lockwood
Hugo Weaving in costume as Mitzi on the balcony of the Palace Hotel in Broken Hill, 1993. Photo: Elise Lockwood. NFSA title: 1489077
Bill Hunter and Terence Stamp nap in the sun while Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce look on. Photo: Elise Lockwood. NFSA title: 1489087
Hugo Weaving, Terence Stamp and Guy Pearce filming at Kings Canyon (Watarrka). Photo: Elise Lockwood. NFSA title: 1489097
Priscilla clip: 'I will survive'
Priscilla, the bus, has broken down in the desert. A First Nations man (Alan Dargin) invites the three drag artists to his nearby camp, where they put on an impromptu show. Everyone joins in, including a yidaki (didgeridoo) player.
Courtesy: Latent Image Productions
Wattle dress and red headpiece
Also preserved in the NFSA collection are a wattle dress worn by Guy Pearce and an elaborate red and yellow feathered headpiece worn by Terence Stamp while performing 'Finally'.
Guy Pearce
Guy Pearce as Felicia wearing the Wattle Dress costume and performing a routine to CeCe Peniston's 1991 hit 'Finally' on stage at Lasseters Hotel Casino in Alice Springs.
Wattle Dress
The costume comprises a lined golden G-string leotard, covered with plastic green foliage and tulle yellow and gold pom poms to replicate wattle. The pompoms were produced by inmates of the Long Bay Correctional Complex.
Terence Stamp
Terence Stamp as Bernadette wearing a red and yellow feathered headpiece while performing 'Finally' by CeCe Peniston, on stage at Lasseters Hotel Casino in Alice Springs.
Red headpiece
The red and yellow feathered headpiece worn by Terence Stamp in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. The film's costumes were designed by Lizzy Gardiner and Tim Chappel.
On set with photographer Elise Lockwood
In 1993, Elise Lockwood landed a dream job – shooting the stills for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994).
A visual feast
As a young photographer in the early 1990s, Elise Lockwood shot stills for acclaimed Australian features by Laurie McInnes, Tracey Moffatt and Pauline Chan. But when she met with Stephan Elliott about Priscilla, she sensed the project would be a visual feast.
In clips from her 2019 Oral History interview with the NFSA, Elise describes life on the fast-paced shoot, how the poster shot of Hugo Weaving came about, and why she committed 'the ultimate stills crime' to capture the cast on stage.
Image: Guy Pearce, Terence Stamp and Hugo Weaving at Kings Canyon (Watarrka). Photo: Elise Lockwood
In this clip, Elise recounts the playful moment behind the iconic image of Hugo Weaving in character as Mitzi Del Bra, waving a green scarf in the desert breeze, in the stark landscape of the Kanku-Breakaways near Coober Pedy. Photo: Elise Lockwood
Elise recalls her tenacity for getting the shot, particularly capturing the three leads in their Lizzy Gardiner-designed, frilled-neck lizard costumes, with their tongues out. Photo: Elise Lockwood
Elise describes director Stephan Elliott's brief for the on-set photography and what it was like being on a road trip with the cast and crew during the fast-moving shoot. Photo: Elise Lockwood
Priscilla at the NFSA
According to Priscilla executive producer Rebel Penfold-Russell, 'Working with the NFSA is a very rewarding experience. You get to be archived forever. You never die!'
Priscilla custom-made shoe box
The Collection Management team at the NFSA created this custom-made shoe box to store a pair of platform heels from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994).
Priscilla costumes at the NFSA
Costume designer Tim Chappel makes a last-minute adjustment to a Priscilla costume at the NFSA during an event celebrating the film's 20th anniversary.
It was really vibrant colours, it was that atmosphere of being gaudy and out there in the spirit of drag in Sydney and combining that with the harsh, rich colours of the outback. It was a visual feast.
Elise Lockwood, stills photographer
Priscilla postered
A selection of posters for Priscilla depict the film's flamboyant quirkiness, with Poland's art being the most innovative. When he visited the NFSA, director Stephan Elliott autographed one of the posters 'Drag is the Drug'.
Australian daybill poster for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 1994. The credit block in the bottom-right corner is for Even Cowgirls Get the Blues instead of Priscilla. NFSA title: 608711
Polish one-sheet poster for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 1994. NFSA title: 1012717
Daybill teaser poster for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 1994. NFSA title: 608717
Australian daybill poster for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 1994. NFSA title: 362393
Alternative daybill poster for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 1994. The credit block along the bottom is for Even Cowgirls Get the Blues instead of Priscilla. NFSA title: 608713
Australian one-sheet poster for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert autographed by Stephan Elliott, Rebel Penfold-Russell and Tim Chappel. NFSA title: 356007
Golden victory
'For The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, nominees Lizzy Gardiner and Tim Chappel made the outrageous acceptable.' Sharon Stone announces the nominees – and then the surprise winners – for Best Costume Design at the Oscars ceremony held on 27 March 1995.
Priscilla wins Oscar
Lizzy Gardiner accepts the Oscar while wearing a dress constructed of gold credit cards. Initially conceived as a potential costume for the film, but vetoed at the time by American Express, Gardiner's dress won the night and is now part of the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria.
Lemon headpiece
Lemon headpiece created for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) by costume designers Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner.
Feathered headpiece
Green and yellow feathered headpiece created for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) by costume designers Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner.
Priscilla clip: The queens of King's Canyon
Tick/Mitzi (Hugo Weaving) attempts to become more ‘masculine’ in the eyes of his son Benji (Mark Holmes), but the boy reassures his father that he accepts him as he is. Mitzi then joins Felicia (Guy Pearce) and Bernadette (Terence Stamp) in full drag for the climb to the top of King’s Canyon (Watarrka), thus fulfilling Felicia’s ambition.
Courtesy: Latent Image Productions
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia acknowledges Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live and gives respect to their Elders both past and present.