Whisking us back fifty years (it’s now half a century since 1973!) via a riot of unique craziness, here comes The Time Warp – again! Yes, that outrageously warped, gender-bending cult musical extravaganza that is The Rocky Horror Show is once more on tour. Theatre-goers who so desire can now dress/cross-dress in black, red and pink basques and corsets, fishnet stockings and suspenders, in glittery hats and waistcoats, high heels, big wigs and frothy feather boas, in lab coats and surgeon’s gowns to cheer, wave, sway, dance and heckle at will. Those who want to do none of that, of course, won’t.
This maniacal musical, a parody of the old, laughable sci-fi and horror movies, may be outlandishly lewd, darkly bizarre and totally ludicrous but it sparkles all the way with fun, wit and thrill, giving melodramatic panto silliness a whole lot more depth. With a relentless whirlwind of super talent, super music and super-human energy whipping up diabolical naughtiness, intrigue and highly adulterated pleasure, this exhilarating evening can end only one way – with a massively loud and joyful standing ovation from one and all for one and all.
The mayhem kicks off, of course, when clean-cut, geeky, young American innocents, Brad and fiancee Janet, get a puncture and turn up on the dark doorstep of Frank N.Furter’s creepy castle. Oh-oh! Before long their innocence is a thing of the past as wily seducer Frank N. Furter gets busy, busy, busy. Strong, confident, accomplished actor/singers Richard Meek and Haley Flaherty thoroughly captivate as Brad and Janet, their fabulously tuneful fifties-style duets especially engaging.
Meanwhile, romping with outrageous abandon is Dr Frank N. Furter, the “sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania” and degenerate creator of a sublime creature – the rippling muscleman Rocky, dressed as ever in nothing but leopard-print briefs and boxer boots. As Frank N Furter Stephen Webb doesn’t strut so much down the smooth, elegant drag performer route as some do, creating instead a darker, heavier presence. His singing is big and powerful, too, while Ben Westhead as Rocky is another who’s strong in the vocal department, as well as in other departments.
Book-ending the show with a strong performance as Roxy Usherette and singer of Science-Fiction Double-Feature is Suzie McAdam who also plays a sturdy Magenta, while it’s Darcy Finden who plays Columbia, an amazing, effervescent bundle of vivacious dancing, tapping, singing, acting talent, her sparkling stage presence as bright and colourful as her shiny outfits, a little reminiscent of Jane Horrocks’ Bubble in Ab Fab.
Jackie Clune is The Narrator and as cool and calm as a cucumber at all times, no matter what witticisms, profanities or insults are hurled at her from the audience (as tradition dictates). As smooth as the velvet of her jacket, she has a come-back for them all, her ripostes often taking a more intimately female slant than some male actors in the role might manage. Meanwhile, Kristian Lavercombe inhabits a Time Warp all of his own, having performed as Riff-Raff more than two thousand times, transforming again and again into that shuffling, white-faced, hunch-shouldered being who, once in a space outfit, becomes miraculously upright, light and nimble.
As ever Nick Richings’ blazingly beautiful lighting effects create vibrant excitement and atmosphere throughout as displays of coloured rays and searchlight beams fan out to dance far and wide into the auditorium. When combined with impressive, thundering vibrations and swirling, smoky mists in the rocket scene, you’d almost believe the entire theatre actually had lift-off, taking Hugh Durrant’s attractive set, cut-out car and house, white-tiled science lab and creepy castle rooms and all into orbit.
Pounding out the decibels from start to finish, five fine musicians sit behind the long, winding film strip, wreathed on high, beneath colour-drenched rigging, as they let talented rip on drums, guitars, piano and sax. Quieter musicianship accompanies the superb singers during the beautifully sensitive ballad numbers in the second act, especially welcome treats that bring greater poignancy and even a moving, credible humanity to characters who are, let‘s face it, pretty unbelievable.
With so much professional polish, talent and energy pouring into the show, it remains as fresh, as fast and as completely loopy as ever.
Eileen Caiger Gray
The Rocky Horror Show will be flaunting itself at theatres far and wide around the UK throughout the year. You can find out venues and ticket information by following this link.
