★★★★

Reviewer - Aimee

*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review.

The Rocky Horror Show is a timeless rock and roll classic, written by Richard O’Brien. It tells the story of a couple, Brad And Janet, who end up stranded at a creepy mansion whilst on their way to see an old professor. Here they meet the owner (Dr Frank ’N’ Furter) who takes the pair on a wild and thrilling adventure that they’ll never forget.

The story is very strong and clear throughout, which you would expect of a musical which this year celebrates 50 years. It contains a mixture of sci-fi themes and heaps of comedy to keep you laughing right till the end.

It is important to note that audience behaviour is different at this show than most others. Audience members are encouraged to shout things back at performers regularly throughout, and the show’s comedy relies heavily on this. The sound team did an amazing job at combatting this, making sure that even in the really rowdy parts, the performers could still be heard clearly.

As for the audience responses themselves they were on point, and you could hear what was being said loud and clear. This meant when the cast reacted back it garnered a bigger laugh and more interaction. It wasn’t too much to the point where you couldn’t understand what was going on.

Stephen Webb (who played the leading role of Dr Frank ’N’ Furter) had a really strong and demanding voice. Whenever he appeared it was if he commanded your attention and he didn’t have to try hard to get it. Even during the quieter moments he still had this intense stage presence that left you wanting more. I wasn’t entirely convinced by the chemistry between Haley Flaherty (Janet) and Richard Meek (Brad). Whilst separately they gave good depictions of their respective characters, the love between them seemed to be lacking. The real stand out performance however was given by the Narrator, who at this performance was played by Reece Budin. The Narrator gets the most interaction with the audience as he comes on stage to help further the plot. As he reads the next part of the story from a big book he carries, he is interrupted by the audience shouting back at him. The way he interacted with the audience was absolutely incredible and his quick, witty responses left me in tears of laughter and wanting more. The comedic timing from him was on point every time as he gave you regional themed jokes and improvisation based on the reaction he got from the audience.

The set design by Hugh Durrant gave me mixed feelings. At the start it felt as if it was somewhat lack lustre, but once we were introduced to Frank ‘N’ Furter’s mansion it improved drastically. Where this show lacks in my opinion is it’s music. Whilst they have some iconic songs such as Sweet Transvestite and Time Warp, I found the majority of it to be quite forgettable. In the moment when your watching the show it’s great, however once I left the theatre I didn’t find myself still singing along or wanting to go and listen to the music back.

Overall Rocky Horror is great, and will have you up on your feet (more than just once!). A show perfect for any adult who enjoys comedy, sci-fi, or maybe just wants a fun night out at the theatre.

The Rocky Horror Show is performing at the Opera House Manchester as part of its UK Tour. All ticket information is available here.