Priscilla's Tony Sheldon Remembers a Mischievous Shakespearean Switch Down Under

Given the amount of time Broadway actors spend at work, it’s no surprise that they enjoy a good joke—often at a co-worker’s expense! In celebration of April Fool’s Day, Broadway.com asked some of our favorite stars to share their funniest work-related pranks. In some cases, the stars initiated the practical joke; in others, the joke was on them. Read on for true tales of behind-the-scenes tomfoolery.

TONY SHELDON (Bernadette in Priscilla Queen of the Desert)

"I was in an Australian production of Much Ado About Nothing when a well-known actor came backstage to visit the cast in our communal dressing room after the matinee. While our leading man was on his dinner break, we dressed up the visitor in his Benedick costume and put full makeup on him. When the leading man returned, we told him we'd heard he wouldn't be performing that night and we'd spent the whole break rehearsing with this other actor. The poor guy was so disoriented he just stared at the interloper uncomprehendingly. I think we completely froze his head."