REVIEW: Rocky Horror Show At Storyhouse Live
The iconic musical first opened in London in 1973 with Tim Curry and has been performed continuously across the world ever since. Following the 1975 film adaptation, the cult Rock 'n' roll musical written by Richard O'Brien has continued to receive critical acclaim. The show has been seen by over 30 million theatregoers. Directed by Christopher Luscombe, the show tells the story of newly engaged couple Brad and Janet who stumble upon a creepy mansion when their car breaks down. The couple are en route to visit their old college professor however when they meet the owner of the mansion and his strange house guests, they lose their innocence and experience things that they had not bargained for.
The risque content of the show with its audience participation makes this show a hit with the cult followers who purchase tickets time and time again.
As is characteristic of Rocky Horror Show performances, the audience dress up as the key characters. There were less costumes than I had envisaged, however the audience engaged with the show and it received a standing ovation at the end. There were a few pairs of fishnet stockings to be seen in the audience and a couple of legendary men dressed up as Frank N Furter himself donning corsets, stockings and suspenders. I happened to be with one of them who loved the show incidentally and was enthralled by the content of the show and the quality performance of the cast.
The signature Time Warp number had the audience up on their feet and dancing on more than one occasion.
Stephen Webb who played the lead Frank N Furter was brash and bold and delivered a strong performance. I was unsure of what accent he was trying to pull off at times but that did not detract from his portrayal of the wacky mansion owner.
James Darch (Brad) had an excellent singing voice as did Joanne Clifton (she played an excellent Janet). The duo worked well together and were great to watch. My favourite was definitely Kristian Lavercombe who played Riff Raff. Having seen him play the role previously, I was not surprised at the high quality of his performance. Philip Franks was fantastic in his role as the narrator and was on the ball when it came to responding to the audience's jibes. His witty retorts were hilarious. He referenced Jekyll & Hyde which plays at The Storyhouse at the end of October and made some comedic reference to playing in Saga adult movies.
He talked gender fluidity and sarcastically welcomed the audience members who had travelled in from Wrexham. He was extremely funny.
Callum Evans played the role of Rocky well and demonstrated his skills as an acrobatic gymnast. Miracle Change (fantastic name) was excellent as the wacky Columbia.
It's frivolous, it's fun and wildly entertaining. Put on your fishnets, get your ticket and do the timewarp with the rest of Chester.
Performance runs until 21st September
Buy your tickets here
Certificate 14+
Duration 125 mins with interval
Recommended 12+ due to the strong language and sexual content.
Strobe lighting, flashing lights and smoke machines are in operation.
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