The Rocky Horror show
Richard O'Brien's legendary rock'n'roll classic returns to Norwich, five years after it last 'touch-a-touch-a-touch-a-touched down' within the city walls, and an unbelievable 35 years since I first communed with Frank-N-Furter, Riff-Raff and their entourage of Transylvanian Transexuals at the Theatre Royal. Before that I was a student at Chelsea College in the late 70's, where The Rocky Horror Show ran at the Kings Road Theatre for the entire duration of my three year degree course. Yes, Rocky and I go way back.
Admitedly, an abdominal paunch and varicose veins mean that fishnets, basque and corset no longer constitute a good look on me, but younger and finer-toned bodies than mine still appear eager to honour the show's tradition of fetishistic decadence, dressing as their favourite characters despite it being a decidedly chilly November evening. Bag searches now mean that water pistols and bags of rice (essential props back in my day) are not going to get through – it was absolute carnage back in 1986, when Theatre Royal staff had to spend hours clearing up the mess after every performance. Yet the magic of Rocky lives on, and there was a definite air of 'antici... pation' as we took our seats.
The announcement that seven of the ten main actors were ill, and that their roles would be filled from a cast re-jigged at extremely short notice, is a reminder of how precarious the whole performing arts sector remains. And yet it proved a testament to the dedication and tenacity of all actors involved that every single one of the performances tonight was absolutely spot-on, true to the very essence of each character. Kristian Lavercombe was deliciously lacivious as Frank-N-Furter, whilst Reece Budin stepped into Riff-Raff's boots as though they had been made for him. Ore Oduba passed the physical to continue in the role of Brad, where he partnered Rachel Grundy as Janet – a beautifully balanced combination which illuminated the puritanic honour and sexual naissance smouldering within each role. Stefania du Toit totally encaptured the exhuberhant naivity of Columbia, wheras Darcy Finden exuded exotic complicity in her portrayal of Magenta. Rocky maintained his narcissistic credentials thanks to Ben Westhead's hard work, whilst the familial combination of Eddie and Dr Scott remained in safe hands thanks to Danny Knott.
With these last minute changes, phantoms were somewhat thin on the ground, and a couple of other minor characters were forced to to disappear altogether, but the spontaneous joie-de-vie of the show remained intact, thanks hugely to the Narrator, Philip Franks, and his unshakable and rapid retorts to the traditional (if not always spontaneous) heckles that remain such a vital part of this show.
Christopher Luscombe's direction is everything that one would expect with fifteen years' experience on the show. Hugh Durrant's set design may seem more Scooby-Doo than RKO, and at times strays into Tim Burton and Wallace & Gromit territory, particularly with the laboratory scenes, but it is an acceptable nod to a high-def digital generation. Lighting, too, is given a sparkling infusion of technology and effects, bringing out the vivacity of Sue Blanes' costumes. These, in turn, add sparkle to the choreography and complement both the score and the ambience of the entire set.
Times change, and whilst I still miss the catwalk and the three sides of internal scaffolding from the original Kings Road Theatre, and the anarchic shenanigans of the 80's audiences, The Rocky Horror Show remains comfortingly essential, and this 2021 'World Tour' version continues to be as much a guilty pleasure as ever it was.
