Cult show still wows crowds after 40 years

Rocky Horror Show, Palace Theatre, Manchester

A ROCKY Horror Show virgin — I know, there can’t be many of us around — I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

Yes, I was aware of all the hype, and knew the show has an impressive cult following, but I wasn’t quite prepared to enjoy it to the extent I did.

Slick and professional, tremendous fun, with great music and scattered with witty one-liners, the special 40th anniversary showing of Richard O’Brien’s cult rock musical was a real treat. From its first moments, it was clear the show was going to be a hit.

The audience were ready and willing, narrator Philip Franks struck an immediate rapport with the jokers and hecklers in the audience, and the scene was set for two hours of supercharged entertainment with immense energy and presence.

It is easy to see how the “Rocky Horror Show” has taken on a life of its own, and there wasn’t a single weak link in the 15-strong cast. The costumes were brilliant, but scantily covering some well-proportioned thighs and torsos rippling with muscles as naive young lovers Janet and Brad are stranded with a flat tyre, and seek help in a castle populated by a grotesque and fantastical crew plucked straight from the B-movies.

Little did they know the weird and wacky inhabitants were from the planet Transvestite in the universe of Transylvania, under the leadership of Frank-N-Furter (Oliver Thornton), who, incidentally, had a figure to die for.

He was tremendous in the role, with a stonking voice, expressions that were a picture, and commanding the stage at every opportunity.

His servant Riff Raff (Kristian Lavercombe) was also superb, with a tremendously wicked laugh, his stage sister Magenta (Abigail Jaye) gave a brilliant performance, and Franks was fabulous and comfortable in his role as narrator.

As for Janet (Dani Harmer) and Brad (Sam Attwater), they, too, were well cast and didn’t put a foot wrong or sing a note out of place. Neither did the perfectly proportioned, bronze-bodied Rocky, whose attire throughout left virtually nothing to the imagination.

What a brainwave O’Brien had when he pulled the “Rocky Horror Show” out of the bag four decades ago.

It is not difficult to see why it has built up such a following, and after last night’s performance, I have joined the ranks of fans who would be more than happy to see the show at any opportunity. The show runs until Saturday, and you would be well advised to get hold of a ticket if at all possible — you won’t be disappointed.