Reader, I am a Rocky Horror virgin no more.

Nor am I, by any stretch, an expert member of the ardent fan club (or perhaps cult?) that surrounds Richard O’Brien’s legendary rock and roll musical, and there will undoubtedly be those who are horrified that such an ingénue would presume to cast judgement after a paltry first viewing. Yet bear with me.

I can’t compare the production currently in residence at Liverpool’s Playhouse to the 1973 original, or to any of the many subsequent iterations on stage, or even to Tim Curry’s iconic outing as Frank N. Furter in the movie. For true believers, that might render this review meaningless. I can tell the rest of you, who might also be considering popping your Rocky Horror cherries during this Merseyside run, that I had a really fun time at the theatre last night.

For this week only, it is Jason Donovan who inhabits Dr Frank’s lab coat and suspenders. The one-time Neighbours heart-throb’s transformation into a maniacal, libidinous transvestite is so complete that I spent several minutes checking the programme notes and reassuring myself that it really was him under the make-up. Donovan was unhinged genius as the creepy but charismatic scientist who welcomes a young, lost couple – the squeaky-clean Brad and Janet – into his sinister mansion, where he is busy in his lab creating the musclebound Rocky.

The sci-fi spoof plot that ensues is entirely as bananas, sexualised and fun as the Time Warp – the song from the show that other first-time attendees will undoubtedly know – would forewarn; the script at times a call-and-response with super-fans in fancy dress who interject gleefully from the stalls. “Oh, you’re going to join in, aren’t you?” asked Pete Price, the veteran Liverpool radio host who this week plays The Narrator, at one point early on. The answer was a resounding affirmative.

Stephen Webb and Leanne Campbell take over from Donovan and Price on December 9, which will make this a different production in some ways, but the standout vocals of Lauren Chia as Janet, frenetic energy of Jayme-Lee Zanoncelli’s Colombia, and strong performances from the rest of the cast will remain. As, no doubt, will the enthusiastic participation of the true believers. And surely there will be some new converts too, notwithstanding the too-breakneck speed of parts of the second half, which rendered the already nonsensical plot baffling.

Rocky Horror has a 12-plus rating on the Playhouse website. As someone with a daughter who is almost that age, I would politely suggest that you might have some explaining to do on the finer points of carnal relations if you choose to take a 12-year-old. For those who are worldly-wise enough, both the show on stage and the party in the audience are well worth partaking of.

By Fran Yeoman

Main image: Jason Donovan (Frank N. Furter). Photo Credit – David Freeman.

 

Rocky Horror Show is at Liverpool Playhouse until Jan 4, 2024. For more information, follow this link: The Rocky Horror Show | Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse theatres