Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show received ambivalent reviews from critics in 1973 when it began its humble beginnings at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, a tiny 60-seat venue.
The public, however, loved it—quickly making it a cult classic—and now, over 50 years later, it has truly proven to have stood the test of time by having the longest continuous run of a contemporary musical anywhere in the world. The Rocky Horror Show has been translated into 20 languages and has currently been watched by an audience of over 30 million people around the globe.
Many members of the original London cast (including Tim Curry) would go on to be involved in its 1975 film adaptation, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This became a cultural phenomenon among moviegoers, with The Rocky Horror Picture Show taking over $135 million at the box office.
The Rocky Horror Show is a laudation to the campy 1950s science fiction and horror B-movie genres, and follows the story of newly engaged, virginal and prudish couple Brad and Janet, who, whilst on their way to visit their former college professor, get stranded at a creepy castle. They fall into the clutches of Frank-N-Furter, a fishnet-clad, bonkers scientist who has been creating his own Frankenstein called Rocky—a muscle-bound “man with blond-haired and a tan.” What follows is an adventure they’ll never forget as the heteronormative rule book is torn up and hedonism, mischief and chaos ensue.
The auditorium was packed with superfans who regularly attend the musical dressed up as their favourite Rocky Horror characters and yell out their own saucy interactive dialogue to go along with the script. This often hilarious communal interaction makes the immersive Rocky Horror Show experience even more riotous.
Seasoned fans also sing along to the celebrated numbers including “Sweet Transvestite”, “Hot Patootie, Bless My Soul”, and the show-stopping, pelvic-thrusting, iconic dance number, “The Time-Warp”.
Jason Donovan, famous for his role in the soap opera Neighbours and his subsequent pop and West End career, first performed the character of Frank-N-Furter 25 years ago, and he reprises his role following a sold-out Australian tour in 2024. Looking good for a man in his late fifties in high heels and a basque, Donovan’s Frank-N-Furter is a laid-back but self-assured provocateur who shamelessly embraces the practice of “giving yourself over to pleasure”.
Despite performing during a heatwave in a venue with feckless air conditioning (thank goodness for the Wimbledon Theatre’s inventive cardboard handheld fans!), all the cast bring an electrifying vitality to the show.
Connor Carson and Stacey Monahan are suitably nerdy as Brad and Janet, while Morgan Jackson delivers a very likeable, bouncy young monster as Rocky. Showcasing impressive vocals, Job Greuter is wonderfully weird as Riff Raff and is perfectly matched with Natasha Hoeberigs as his outlandish sister Magenta. Jayme-Lee Zanoncelli’s fearlessly disenchanted Columbia pulls the heartstrings, while Edward Bullingham provides the raw energy needed for the recalcitrant Eddie.
With affirming direction by Christopher Luscombe and animated choreography by Nathan M. Wright, this punchy production fortifies the legacy of The Rocky Horror Show as one of the most iconic and beloved touring musicals ever.
Tour listings and ticket information can be found here.
