Touring – reviewed at the King’s Theatre, Glasgow
There are few other shows so beloved or so enduring as the Rocky Horror Show. It was a summer Monday evening and the theatre was packed from floor to rafters with fans clad in their best Columbia, Magenta, Rocky, Brad, Janet and even a few Frank ‘N’ Furter costumes for the latest tour of this nearly 50-year-old show.
The audience is in full-on participation mode and the excitement before curtain up is tangible. The second the Usherette (a fabulous Laura Harrison, who also doubles up as Magenta) steps onstage, the audience is raring to go. Every infamous call back is on cue, every moment for joining in is taken – this is a crowd that knows every word and every step to every song and is here to enjoy the night to the fullest.
There are many reasons why Rocky Horror has been performed almost continuously since its creation in 1973 – the big hits come thick and fast, the dialogue is cheeky and cheesy in equal measure, it never takes itself seriously, but the talent and commitment of the cast and the quality of Richard O’Brien’s genius writing means that under the 1950s B-Movie veneer, this is a show of quality.
Boy band royalty, Blue’s Duncan James steps into Frank’s glittered platforms and satin corset and boy does he give it his all. From entrance to exit he looks like he’s living his best life and judging from the ear-splitting reception from the audience they are loving every minute along with him.
James is ably supported by dance royalty Joanne Clifton, who again demonstrates how multi-talented she is, singing and acting as Janet and there’s strong support from a fine-sounding James Darch as Brad. While Rocky Horror veteran and fan-favourite Kristian Lavercombe is indisposed tonight, his understudy Andrew Ahern is a revelation as Riff Raff and Philip Franks, arguably one of the finest narrators in the world of Rocky Horror, returns.
There are few shows that pack more entertainment into two hours, and few that stand up to repeat viewing like Rocky Horror. Hands-down one of the best musicals of all time and with this first-rate cast, it would be a crime to miss it.
Runs until 17 August 2019 | Image: Contributed
This review was originally written for The Reviews Hub
Lauren has also been the lucky recipient of the Oran Mor, A Play, a Pie and a Pint Critics Circle prize… twice. During the Commonwealth Games in 2014, she was one of 14 bloggers from around the Commonwealth chosen to be part of the official blog “Team 14”, writing about the cultural impact of the games. She teaches a workshop on theatre blogging as part of Glasgow's Tron Theatre Ambassadors programme, for students aged 15-18, encouraging the next generation of arts critics.
