Rocky Horror Show – REVIEW
Image: ROCKY HORROR SHOW, Theatre Royal. credit: Wendell Teodoro/Getty
When Rocky Horror Show made its 50th anniversary return to stage, it felt fun and nostalgic, but also kind of stiff and tentative. This reprise, barely a year later, feels much more relaxed, cheeky, even a little dangerous.
Many of the original cast members are back again and have more fully embodied their respective characters. Back as Janet, Deidre Khoo completely owns every scene she is in, radiating with sparkle and mischief. She has a gorgeous voice and animated facial expressions that could be their own emojis.
Stellar Perry is a sassier Magenta and has even given her secondary role as the Usherette a bit more grit. Henry Rollo is and always was, Riff Raff, and is scarily convincing.
Darcey Eagle’s Columbia is vibrant and much more three-dimensional, with genuine moments of pain as well as fizziness.
Ellis Dolan as Eddie and Dr Scott probably didn’t have that much room to grow, but he still rocks the auditorium with “Hot Patootie, Bless My Soul”.
Newcomer, Blake Bowden as Brad is probably slightly overshadowed by Khoo. It’s also, lets face it, a pretty dull role, but Bowden does well with what he’s got. The oiled and ripped, Daniel Erbacher, totally fits the bill as Rocky.
The talk of the show, deservedly, is Dylan Alcott as the Narrator. It’s an inspired choice and Alcott is in his absolute element. He is confident, unperturbed, and has some fireball retorts to audience heckling.
Last, but a long way from least, Jason Donovan is back in the corset with a super-hammy, revved-up Frank’n’Furter. Donovan swaggers around the stage with mock pretentiousness, and makes every effort to bring the audience into his fabulous orbit.
The set has been slightly changed from last time and the whole show feels much tighter.
Whether or not you’ve ever seen Rocky Horror Show before (including the previous season of this production), you’ll want to see this show, especially with Donovan possibly doing his last ever “Sweet Transvestite” strut on stage.
