The world premiere of a musical inspired by the British Asian drag queen community will take place tonight.

Miss Meena & The Masala Queens, written by Harvey Verdi and directed by Pravesh Kumar, will run at the Watford Palace Theatre until May 13.

The production, which was created in consultation with LGBTQ community, hopes to uncover the untold stories of men who choose a female persona by night.

Behind the sparkling costumes and big Bollywood style lip-sync dance numbers Miss Meena & the Masala Queens will reveal a very human story about the meaning of family.

In the story, the once famous and fabulous drag queen Miss Meena has lost his sparkle and, like his nightclub, is washed up and out of date. With the club on its knees, a new arrival brings a glittery rainbow of hope. But just as things are starting to look up for Miss Meena, a visitor from the past makes him question everything he ever stood for.

Pravesh Kumar is the artistic director of Rifco, a theatre company who seeks to celebrate British Asian culture, society and experiences.

He started the company in 1999 to make a different kind of theatre for a community that could not see themselves represented on English stages. Before setting up Rifco, Kumar worked extensively in Mumbai’s film and television industry, as an assistant director and writer.

The company is inspired by untold stories and under-represented voices, but most of all tells stories about a universal theme - family.

“I’ve always planned that Rifco would tour a play that puts LGBTQ issues at the centre of the story,” says Pravesh. “As a British Asian theatre-maker, it’s always been really important to me that we continue to tell untold stories and give unrepresented voices a platform and make work that provokes as well as entertains.”

Watford Palace Theatre, 20 Clarendon Road, Watford, WD17 1JZ, until May 13. Details: 01923 225671