The Rocky Horror Show, UK Tour Review (2024)
Jason Donovan in The Rocky Horror Show. Photo by Daniel Boud.
Written by Aimee for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
The Rocky Horror Show is a cult classic musical, one which has now been running for over 50 years worldwide. It follows the story of 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. Packed with comedy, adult themes and thrilling musical numbers; The Rocky Horror Show is a spectacle.
The story written by Richard O’ Brien is strong, one that has managed to thrive for so many years and captivate audiences. As it progresses you find yourself becoming involved, you want to know more about this situation and how it ends. The general pacing of the events that happen is steady throughout, until the ending of the show. For me, I feel as if the ending to the story is quite rushed and in conjunction with the rest of the show, it feels a little out of place. I think more work could have been done to establish the base of Magenta and Riff Raff’s story so that when we reach the end it wouldn’t feel out of place that suddenly they are aliens and are in control of this whole thing.
The music in the show (created by Richard Hartley) is one that I feel indifferent about. Whilst you’re watching the show they fit perfectly, filled with fun and some iconic lyrics. However, past that, I feel as if the majority of the soundtrack isn’t memorable long term. Once you leave the theatre it’s easy to forget what songs you just heard, apart from iconic numbers such as “The Time Warp”.
The set design by Hugh Durrant I have mixed feelings about. The majority of the show takes place in Frank’s mansion, which does have an incredible set, transporting you to different rooms within. However, the set used at the start (prior to Brad and Janet’s arrival at the mansion) feels different to the rest of the show. Everything is sort of constructed of pieces of material painted to look like things such as a car, or a view of the mansion. Whilst the painting itself isn’t bad, it just doesn’t match the rest of the show as we then uncover the inside of this mansion.
As for the performances, this cast as a whole really gave themselves over to the madness that is Rocky Horror, with some in particular standing out more than others. Connor Carson and Lauren Chia as Brad and Janet are probably one of the best pairings I’ve seen for this show. Their portrayal of these characters is everything you would expect to see and more, the chemistry between them has you believing in this relationship, and each gets a chance to show off their brilliant vocal skills. For this performance, we had Jason Donovan as Frank N Furter and Pete Price as the Narrator. Donovan was a strong Frank, committing wholeheartedly to this almost evil villain persona. It wasn’t the best I’ve ever seen this character portrayed, but still strong nevertheless. Pete Price as the Narrator was an interesting choice. When he first appeared on stage for a scene I wasn’t sure if he fitted in with the rest of the cast. As time went on he did create a connection with the audience, providing some particularly funny moments, however, it wasn’t an outstanding performance.
Overall I think this production has it’s strong moments, but the weaker aspects are hard to ignore.
Currently playing at Liverpool Playhouse until 4 Jan 2025 as part of a wider UK tour until June 2026.
★★★
