The Diana Mixtape | The Lowry

After its premiere at HERE at Outernet in London for a limited summer run, The Diana Mixtape takes to The Lowry stage with an unapologetically bold and camp tribute to Princess Diana, after all, it's what she would have wanted (...or so the show suggests). Combining drag with elements of a jukebox musical to fit a loose narrative, Christopher D. Clegg has created a show that is an absolute riot and has the potential to become an incredibly successful show, whilst at the moment it still feels very much a work in progress piece.

The soundtrack is filled to the brim with absolute anthems that are bound to get the crowd going. From Lady Gaga, Olivia Rodrigo, Katy Perry and Chappel Roan, one can't help but be whisked away by the sheer campiness of the show. This was supported by the incredible energy and commitment of the dancers (Ashton Bradley, Henry Chatfield, Jordan Jewell, Theo Simpson and Leo Udvarlaky.) Ironically, most of the songs fit into the trajectory of the narrative and served their purpose, whether it be for comedic effect or to bring some emotional resonance to the piece. However, it does feel like some songs could be shortened to maintain the pace of the show.

To portray Diana, we have five of the finest drag queens (Courtney Act, Divina De Campo, Priyanka, Rosé and Kitty Scott-Claus) who each have their moment in the spotlight and bring their own to their take on Princess Di. De Campo is on top form with her ability to work the crowd, using the unfortunate sound and lighting problems as an opportunity to garner some laughs from the audience. De Campo is always a joy to witness on stage and one cannot help but be captivated by her performance. Undoubtedly, Rosé shines throughout and gives the standout performance of the evening. In a show with a plethora of high energy numbers and choreography, cheap gags and bright lightning, Rosé brings emotional depth to her ballad numbers with incredible vocals.

Where the issues currently lie are within the tonality of the piece and production issues. Currently at a run time of 90 minutes, there are a few moments in the show where it feels like the pace is lost and what momentum is gained through a powerful performance slowly dwindles away. The poor sound mixing meant that backing tracks completely drown out the vocals in the performances, with certain drag queens unable to hear their backing tracks and ultimately struggling to perform to the best of their ability as a result. Furthermore, whilst missed lighting and mic queues lead to moments of humour, these happened far too often leading to the show feeling messy at times.

With a stage as big as The Lowry's, one can't help but feel that this show would suit a smaller club or cabaret space much better. Whilst Adam Nightingale's video design was captivating and River Smith's costume design was camp and glitz, limited props or stage design lead to the piece feeling clunky and the essence of the show getting lost on such a vast stage.

With some refining, this is a show that has great potential to reach new heights. It's ambitious and energetic, and even if the narrative and production elements all feel slightly lacking, there's enough drag royalty to delight audiences.

The Diana Mixtape runs at The Lowry until Thursday 21st August 2025.

Tickets and More Information

★★★☆☆ (3*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Harry Elletson