All’s Nell That Ends Nell

Nell Campbell (better known as Little Nell) – cool Aussie rock, theatre, film and cabaret royalty – has led a fabulous, fearless life, and her one-woman ‘confessional’ is utterly compelling and wonderfully entertaining. In a fantastic sequined dress, Nell takes centre stage, accompanied by a vin blanc and a wealth of photo evidence, and begins at the beginning, telling us all about her fascinating parents and siblings. And then to her brilliant career. Nell’s free-spirited vim and verve landed her in London in the early 1970s where she busked her way to the right place at the right time to a unique group of Aussie ex-pat creatives who were unknowingly about to make entertainment history in the tiny Theatre Upstairs at London’s Royal Court (maximum audience 63), with a below-low-budget original stage musical by Richard O’Brien, The Rocky Horror Show, directed by Jim Sharman. Of course, Nell was cast as the tap-dancing Columbia.

I have always thought that the cult status of the film version of Rocky Horror masked its place in Australian theatrical history – as Nell points out, there were several Aussie ex-pats responsible for the original stage version, and its humble, pre-punk-era beginnings. Aussie irreverence has always found a creative home in London and, courtesy of photographer, Mick Rock, there is a whole portfolio of cast and crew at that ‘ground zero’ moment. You’ll hear all about the serendipitous coming together of this group and the organic and collaborative way the show developed. With big budgets and star-power names a prerequisite today, we may never see the likes of Rocky Horror and its valiant troupe ever again. It’s a fascinating story that I doubt even the die-hard Rocky fans will be aware of, with intersections to Oz magazine cartoonists and soon-to-be iconic singers – and Nell is at heart of it all, tap-dancing on cafe tables, running market stalls opposite Freddie Mercury, buying clothes at McLaren and Westwood’s SEX shop on the King’s Road, busking near her squat at King’s Cross and making things happen.

After London, Nell moves to New York where she invests in a run-down property in Manhattan with her friends Keith McNally and Lynn Wagenknech – her spotlight boy from Rocky’s transfer out of the Royal Court, and his wife – and the infamous Nell’s nightclub is born, after months of sanding and painting and securing secondhand chandelliers and furniture. It’s another wonderful chapter full of the positive power of saying ‘Yes’ to opportunity when it comes knocking. At the club, Nell meets everyone from Julian Sands to Quincy Jones. But rather than a bitch-and-tell, what you get from this ‘confessional’ is Nell’s generous spirit and gratitude to her friends and fans – many of whom remain loyally in her life to this day – to her family and her daughter for giving her such an eventful existence. This lady has class as well as style.

Nell is one of those storytellers who is so inspiring and entertaining, you won’t want the evening to end. And the crowd at Brisbane Powerhouse – from young students to older fans (our row included middle-aged couples in sequins and feather boas, and a 90-something woman done up to the nines!) – all agreed. In closing, Nell welcomes the legacy of Rocky Horror for the LGBTQ+ community and embraces her role in helping to break down the barriers. At the end, when everyone is up on their feet doing the Timewarp, you’d need a pulse check if you did not enjoy this show. Yes, so far, Nell’s had a wonderful life – but please, it ain’t over yet! With the 50-year anniversary of Rocky Horror’s stage show coming up in 2023, I’m hoping there will be more stories to tell, more shows – and there’s GOT to be an autobiography, please – and I can’t wait for the next chapters in Nell’s fabulous life.

Find out more: https://www.littlenellcampbell.com/bio

Celebrate Rocky’s 50th: https://www.stagewhispers.com.au/news/rocky-horror-returns-2023-50th-ann...

Beth Keehn

Photographer: JD Byrne