-690613d.jpg)
In honour of its remarkable 50th anniversary, the legendary rock ‘n roll musical, The Rocky Horror Show, is back in Melbourne! Australian superstars Jason Donovan returns as the iconic Frank N Furter, and Joel Creasey debuts as the Narrator. With its legacy rooted in the genius of Richard O’Brien, The Rocky Horror Show has become an adored musical worldwide; holding the honour of being the only contemporary rock musical to achieve half a century of stage success. Originally debuting in 1973, this mischevious musical has enthralled over 30 million spectators across 30 countries over the years – transcending language barriers with translations in 20 languages.
The show boasts an exceptional cast, featuring Jason Donavan as Frank N Furter; who captures the mad scientist in all his glory, in what is hands down one of our favourite takes on the character. The hilarious Joel Creasey stars as the Narrator, and is as quick on his feet as ever, in what was a very improvised role throughout the show. Wasting no lines thrown at him from the audience, Creasey was quick to fire back at any heckles thrown his way, much to the audience’s delight. Starring as Brad and Janet is the talented Blake Bowden and Deirdre Khoo, as well as Ellis Dolan who plays Eddie and Dr Scott, Darcey Eagle as Columbia, and Daniel Erbacher as Rocky. Henry Rollo and Stellar Perry’s Riff Raff and Magenta are standouts in the show; both with incredible voices and a playfulness that complemented the characters well.
From the start of its haunting opening number Science Fiction/Double Feature, the show was captivating from the very beginning; and so clearly loved by so many generations. Dammit, Janet saw a charming duet between leads Brad and Janet – perfectly setting up the couple for their journey into the strange world of Dr Frank N Furter, while the iconic Time Warp encouraged the audience to sing and dance along. Jason Donovan’s first appearance as Frank N Furter was of course heralded by the electrifying Sweet Transvestite; which was easily a show highlight, which had everyone cheering and whooping along. Other musical standouts included Eddie’s solo Hot Patootie, Bless My Soul and Janet’s empowering Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me, which showcased Deirdre Khoo’s voice perfectly.
Needless to say, the set design for the anniversary shows is top notch – with some impressive scenery, and plenty of kitschy sci-fi props to boot. No exceptions have been made for the incredible lighting effects which are seen throughout, while the show’s live band and back-up singers/dancers are just the cherry on top. With high levels of audience participation encouraged, the show was full of singing and dancing along moments, as well as what has become Rocky Horror tradition – line call backs. With every show bound to be different, based on audience members and whatever the Narrator comes up with, it’s no wonder The Rocky Horror Show has stuck around this long.
All good things must come to an end – and that goes for the show. Ending on its big climax, the cast and crew received a standing ovation from the audience. Just when we thought that was it, the cast comes back for an encore performance of Time Warp and Sweet Transvestite; which pull the audience to their feet for one last dance.