I can hardly believe it’s the 40th Anniversary of this show – I remember my parents being shocked (in a good way) when they went to see the original in London all those years ago and I remember attending the midnight cinema screenings in the Kings Road – complete with all the props – just ten years after that. And tonight’s performance felt just as fresh and exciting as those very first times.
I took my teenage daughter – she knows most of the songs already anyway. This show is part of our cultural heritage. It was huge fun waiting for it to start – there were all manner of fantastic costumes amongst the audience. There were lots of male and female Magentas, an assortment of glittering Columbias, so many clad in black and red basques and suspenders, a sea of feather boas and even a few brave souls who were wearing just tiny gold pants. Just as well the weather was warm today.
The audience sang along to the opening usherette number (“Late night double feature picture show”) and joined in enthusiastically with “Dammit Janet” too. The narrator (Philip Franks) was fantastic – surely the king of ad-libs when responding to the lively audience’s comments. And we were all on our feet for the time warp. It was a hoot.
Columbia (Ceris Hine) was suitably squeaky, Janet (Roxanne Pallett) and Brad (Sam Attwater) annoyingly cloying and Riff Raff (Kristian Lavercombe) did Richard O’Brien proud – although he reminded me a little of Martin Sheen as a vampire in the New Moon films. Everyone was a talented singer.
But the star of the show was undoubtedly Oliver Thornton as Frank-N-Furter. I would never have believed that anyone could play that part better than Tim Curry – but he did. And then some. Absolutely brilliant. Funny. Sexy. Incredible diction. And his thigh muscles were to die for – I guess that’s what happens when you take a bloke from South Wales and put him through ballet school. Awesome.
My daughter was taken with Harry Neale who played Rocky. I can’t comment on his acting or singing ability – it was all about those abs and those biceps. Oh my! The only slight disappointment was Eddie (Joel Montague) - but who could possibly take the place of Meatloaf – especially when they didn’t even give him a motorbike.
It was just under two hours of pure delight – singing along with the Rock and Roll (excellent live music from the band tucked away at the top of the stage) and joining in with the well-worn but much loved script. It’s the first time I’ve seen a standing ovation at Richmond – and the cast rewarded us with a rousing encore of the favourite numbers all over again.
It’s amazing to think how far sighted the writers and original producers were – to create a show that still hits the spot after all these years. Transvestites, transsexuals, gays, loose morals, lost innocence and aliens. Fantastic. And timeless.
It’s playing at Richmond until Saturday – do not miss the chance to see this show! The most fun you can have with your clothes on http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-rocky-horror-show/richmond-theatre/
It then tours the UK with future near-London stops at Bromley, Woking and Croydon. http://rockyhorror.co.uk/tickets-tour-dates
