Review: The Diana Mixtape (HERE at Outernet)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

These days, you don’t have to look far to see the next musical based on a famous and influential figure, but one particular icon who has never had a musical made about them is Princess Diana. Well, perhaps I should say never had a GOOD musical made about them. That's all set to change with the world premiere of The Diana Mixtape, combining drag, chaos and as much camp as one stage can carry before buckling. Would this buck the trend and capture the people's hearts, or would it prove to be a right royal disaster?

The Diana Mixtape combines a jukebox musical with a drag show, starring five recognisable faces from various iterations of RuPaul’s Drag Race (UK, US and Canada are all represented here) as they tell the story of the People’s Princess, to the soundtrack of some of the best loved pop songs from the past couple of decades.

If that doesn’t sound too taxing for your brain, The Diana Mixtape isn’t a show to be taken too seriously as the aim of it is to have fun and tell her story, but in the most surprising way. Writer and director Christopher D. Clegg writes in the programme about the inspiration for this show being Diana’s now infamous yet at the time secretive night out with Freddie Mercury at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, with the idea to create a drag show that she perhaps would have loved herself.

When reviewing a show like this, I find it best to judge it for exactly what it is, in the space it’s at, which isn’t a conventional theatre space and a place that is more home to concerts, as well as (and perhaps most importantly) the audience it is aiming for. With that in mind, is this going to be the most slick show you ever see or one that should be compared to the big, glossy and camp musicals within a walking distance of the venue (though the less said about one of them, the better)? Definitely not, but to compare The Diana Mixtape to musicals such as Six would be like comparing both of King Charles III’s wives. 

There are several issues that stop The Diana Mixtape from reaching its full potential, namely a lack of polish with some of the sequences in need of fine-tuning (though this will come in time, I’m sure) and several props that can only be described as “school project chic”. These don’t detract from the fun factor of the piece, however, with the chaotic nature at times only adding to the charm. The only real criticism no amount of fun could make me gloss over was the pretty shocking sound, with the press night plagued with problems including missed cues and a sound level that was far too quiet for large portions of the show. 

Once I embraced the madness, I found myself having a ridiculous amount of fun. The Diana Mixtape is unashamed in how loud, proud and camp it is - I would go as far as saying this may be the campest show I’ve ever been to, and a quick search of some of the previous shows I’ve reviewed tells you all you need to know for what a bold statement that is for me to make. If you have ever watched an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the format will feel familiar to you, as The Diana Mixtape screams “Rusical” - upping the silly factor with not so much a knowing wink to the audience but a big, flashing neon sign saying “LOL” (not really, but it could do). If you are looking for subtlety and nuance in an understated and classy affair, this is not the show for you. If you are looking for Drag Queens dressed as Princess Diana singing songs from the likes of Britney and Beyoncé, you’ve come to the right place.

Let’s talk about that setlist. At one point, I did have to check if Clegg had been looking through my Spotify, as some of the choices were a bit more niche than I’d have expected. Not that I was complaining to experience incredible yet weirdly underrated songs from The Veronicas and Carly Rae Jepsen blasting out in a musical where they belong in increasingly shoehorned in but oddly satisfying fashion, in a playful but great use from music supervisor and arranger Matthew Harvey - and it certainly didn’t hurt to have an impressive cast taking on these numbers.

How do you ever decide who can step into Diana’s heels? Well, what could be better than one Princess Diana? Five of them, of course. Step forward drag royalty Courtney Act, Divina De Campo, Priyanka, Rosé and Kitty Scott-Claus to all take turns in her iconic revenge dress. All having strengths of their own be it comedy, dancing, looks or vocals, they each add something to the mix, coming together on certain numbers to form a supergroup that I am referring to as “Five Di’s”.

From Priyanka’s take on Lady Gaga’s ‘Paparazzi’, the tone is set early on, and is elevated through multiple performances. Courtney Act gives us a great take on Demi Lovato’s ‘Sorry Not Sorry’, with Kitty Scott-Claus offering one of the more recent songs in the show, in a Tate Mcrae number. Divina De Campo is on fine form, showcasing her magnificent talents on performances of Miley Cyrus’ ‘Can’t Be Tamed’ and Carly Rae Jepsen’s anthem ‘Cut To The Feeling’, though at times she does feel slightly underused which is a shame given the huge stage presence she always has.

As great as all of the Queens (well, Princesses) were, there was one undoubted standout and that was Rosé. In a show that offered 90 minutes of relentless upbeat numbers, Rosé offered something different, slowing the pace with two refreshingly distinct performances of Jade’s ‘Angel Of My Dreams’ and Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Vampire’. Both showcased Rosé’s phenomenal talents with the best vocal performance of the night by a mile and a really beautiful way of storytelling through the emotion in the lyrics - not something you’d perhaps expect to find in The Diana Mixtape! Delivering a performance worthy of any of the best West End musicals, Rosé set the bar impossibly high, wowing at every opportunity. The five performers together brings magic to the stage (if not quite precise choreography) so that by the time the show ahem climaxes with a double helping of ‘Pink Pony Club’ and ‘Shout Out To My Ex’, you can’t help but being a fan of these Five Di’s.

It’s not all about Diana, however, with three other talented actors stepping into some instantly recognisable roles. Keala Settle is the Queen! As well as that, she is also playing Elizabeth II in a performance from her like you have never been before. I didn’t have Keala dressed as the Queen, singing Meghan Trainor’s ‘Mother’ in honour of her son and current king on my 2025 bingo card, but here we are. Her take on Kelly Rowland’s ‘Commander’ is every bit as satisfyingly camp as you would hope. After a cheeky nod to his time in Hear’say early on, Noel Sullivan steps out as Charles in a comic highlight of the show. Sullivan is clearly having the time of his life in this show, as apparent in scenes with Lucinda Lawrence as an over-the-top Camilla. I will never be able to listen to Katy Perry’s ‘The One That Got Away’ again after their performance (worth watching the video montage as well as their performance during this particularly number) while they brought a whole new meaning to Dua Lipa’s ‘Physical’ in a sequence I may well need therapy for.

Watching The Diana Mixtape at times feels a bit like a fever dream. I have seen some weird stuff in my time but this is perhaps as weird as it gets. Throwing different elements together like this really shouldn’t work as well as it does, but you can’t help but fall in love with the sheer insanity of it all. It might not be the most polished or sophisticated show in the West End but nor is it trying to be. What it is trying to do is provide some humour and escapism in a feelgood show that will have you laughing and thinking “What the f***” in equal measure. Finally, we have a good Diana musical to enjoy as The Diana Mixtape proves itself to be better than a Guinness, better than a… actually, let’s not finish that sentence. Whether you are a Royalist, a gay man, a lover of pop music or somebody with a pulse, there is something for pretty much everyone in The Diana Mixtape - chaotic, comedic and camp, with one long and joyous playlist you’ll want to listen to on repeat.

The Diana Mixtape plays at HERE at Outernet until 10th August. Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/musical/the-diana-mixtape-tickets

Photos by Harry Elletson