A fantastic evening of entertainment
As it’s the 50th Anniversary of Richard O’Brien’s legendary Rocky Horror Show I thought it was about time I actually went to see what has become one of the most successful pieces of musical theatre in history, writes Michael Holland.
Of course, I had some idea of what to expect but that idea was nowhere close to the reality of what I walked into.
The queue outside was replete with men in basques, fishnets and full make-up; there were people in lab coats, fiends and ghouls were everywhere, most of which I was almost prepared for. It was the actual show that threw the curve ball for me to duck.
As soon as the Usherette(Natasha Hoeberigs)appeared to do her opening number a large proportion of the cosplaying audience was up and singing along. When The Narrator(Nathan Caton) came on he was met with sarcastic heckles after just about every line. But he was ready with scripted comebacks for everything these seasoned theatre-goers had in their arsenal.
Poor Janet(Lauren Chia) and Brad(Connor Carson) – the young innocents who find themselves lost in the woods, came in for harsh abuse. I’m sure she was called a slut on more than one occasion, creating much glee for the baying crowd. But the cast stood steadfast against the onslaught, carrying on regardless now this 50-year-old show has been taken over by a cult; something the author could never have predicted all that time ago when he sat down to write about two of his great loves: science fiction and B movies. Combine those two with good rock music and you deserve a hit.
In the early 70s the lifestyles portrayed in Rocky Horror Show would still have been quite taboo. Now, in the 2020s, there are still the anti-Woke who rail against work of this kind but these days are quite rightly shouted down.
The cult of heckling the show began pretty soon after its premiere. Perhaps because it was so cheesy or so bad that it warranted a bit of a piss-take, but by being taken over by the fans, who love the show and go to see it regularly, it can always be seen on a stage or cinema screen somewhere on the planet, always changing, always evolving, always gaining new members ready to dress to impress.
©The Other Richard
There are references to Janet Scott and Charles Atlas that show its age, but nobody cares. It’s the Rocky Horror Show and that is all that matters! In fact, I am not sure if this show has more rhymes for Janet than Ian Dury’s Billericay Dicky from the same era; I’m guessing it has.
Having now experienced Rocky Horror Show in its latest evolution I feel a need to see it in its original form, as Richard O’Brien meant it to be seen, but I fear that is impossible now the cult has taken over.
Even so, this is one fantastic evening of entertainment. The choreography is excellent, the songs rock, the cast is strong, the set is magical and the script is pure, unadulterated B Movie – which is just how it is meant to be. And in amongst all the paraphernalia there is Jason Donovan reprising his role as Frank-n-Furter, strutting the stage with a swagger of a man comfortable in stockings and heels; a swagger he has earnt over time.
Go and see it for the first time or the hundred and first time because you will be guaranteed a great night and will leave the theatre knowing all the moves to the Time Warp.
I did.
The Rocky Horror Show is now on a UK Tour until August 2025.
Full Tour Details: https://rockyhorror.co.uk/
