The Rocky Horror Show. The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham.
It’s hard to believe The Rocky Horror Show is over 50 years old, and this UK tour shows it has no signs of slowing down – it’s still selling out and is still as fresh as it ever was.
So why is this show still such a hit? The answer is quite simply that it’s FUN. The music is fun (we’ve all done the Time Warp), the characters are fun (yes, people still dress up as their favourite), and the story is fun (ridiculous, but fun!). Fun, fun, fun. Probably the most fun musical ever. It’s easy to see why it’s become a cult.
The whole story is a homage to B movies so as well as horror we also get a bit of “science fiction”. Innocent lovebirds Brad and Janet (played perfectly by Connor Carson and Lauren Chia) are driving late at night in the rain when their car breaks down, coincidentally by a gothic manor – the “Frankenstein place”. They take shelter inside and that’s where the fun begins. There they meet a collection of strange characters called Riff Raff (Job Greuter), Magenta (Natasha Hoeberigs), Columbia (Jayme-Lee Zanoncelli), and their master, the “sweet transvestite”, Frank N Furter (played majestically by Adam Strong). Frank has been working on something in the lab – creating the perfect man (the titular Rocky – played wonderfully with energetic joy and athleticism by Morgan Jackson). What follows is Brad and Janet’s sexual awakening (and maybe the audience’s too!). Sexual liberation is another strong theme in this show. In fact I’d go as far to say this is the sexiest show on earth!
The whole piece is narrated by “the narrator”. Here we have comedian and actor Jackie Clune who has great fun in the role, throwing in some topical jokes as well as some local references. She also bantered with the audience which as a stand-up comedian she is more than equipped for.
One of the main things about this show is the audience participation. They shout out lines on cue throughout. I’ve always wondered how the cast cope with this but they seem to have embraced it and make accommodation for it, dare I say, enjoy it. It can become a bit panto but it strangely adds to the piece.
Richard O’Brien wrote a modern masterpiece with this show. He literally created a monster!
What are you waiting for? Get a ticket! (if you can).
5 stars. Lip-bitingly good.
