The Rocky Horror Show

“Let’s Do The Time Warp”?

“Again”…?

Yes, let’s – because that song (and its self-explained choreography) really is a timeless classic of musical theatre, one that cannot help but make you want to get up and groove along, regardless of how many Rocky Horror Shows you may have experienced, on the stage or the cinema screen.

The world that Richard O’Brien first brought his singular show into is somewhat changed from that of today. The years immediately preceding Rocky’s birth had seen, arguably, the first significant steps toward modern-day ‘liberation’ for the queer community. Bursting its way into this ideal environment, O’Brien’s vision was startling and sparkling, satirical and spoofy, yet strangely sinister, all at the same time.

Putting a fiendishly clever spin on classic horror/sci-fi/fantasy film conventions while drawing out the frequently-unspoken subtext of these classic cinematic stories, Rocky Horror depicted a community and its culture that, at the time, was largely an alien concept for many people, and it had the audacity and brilliance to present the members of that community as literal aliens – but fabulously irresistible ones!

Today, we live in a country that has recently broken new frontiers of equality-under-the-law for LGBT-identified individuals, yet 2017/18 is also a place where some commentators insist that the very term ‘transvestite’ – sweet or otherwise - is outdated, bordering on offensive. “Ch-ch-ch-changes”, indeed. How best, then, in this current environment, to approach a revival of Rocky Horror?

Unfortunately, the manner in which more than one of this production’s intended laugh-lines fell flatter than expected is perhaps a testament to the reality that very little in this world completely escapes the effects of ageing, Rocky Horror included. Cameron Daddo’s Narrator starts the proceedings with promise but never really seems to locate the ideal mode to register as an effective presence (though an especially cheeky heckle directed his way was definitely uncalled for).

Craig McLachlan’s association with the incomparable part (so to speak) of Frank-N-Furter stretches back twenty-five years, which is impressive in itself, and while this talented performer appears as fit and tireless as ever, he cannot quite merge with this reviewer’s preferred image of the character (granted, this opinion should be of no consequence to McLachlan’s many fans, whose passion and commitment is as admirable as that of their idol).

There is still fun to be found in the ‘50s archetypes of Rob Mallett’s Brad and Michelle Smitheram’s Janet being tempted with ‘forbidden fruit’, but Brendan Irving’s Rocky, though appropriately muscled, doesn’t really grab a piece of our heart like the best ‘Frankenstein’s monsters’ should do, while Nadia Komazec, though capturing the cuteness of tap-dancing Columbia, is allowed to overstay her welcome in at least one crucial scene. This may be a show that is inextricable from its direct communication with audiences, but the ad-libbing and back-talking here results in a mixed success rate.

The good news for both long-timers and new-comers is that even the momentary doubts and disappointments experienced by this reviewer were not enough to wipe the smile off his face by the end, or to dampen the desire for dancing The Time Warp. The musicians (and sound engineers) assembled for this production get the melodies bubbling and blasting out across the audience, while lighting displays add some fantastically flashy moments of visual flair, and the overall stage/set design is wittily cartoonish in just the right way.

While it may seem doubtful that The Rocky Horror Show has another forty-years-or-more worth of mileage left in the tank, for the moment, it remains a fun reminder of a legitimate pop-culture phenomenon, not to mention an impressive monument to just how long (and far) a piece of theatrical entertainment can run.

Anthony Vawser

Photographer: Jeff Busby