The Theatre Royal was taken over by cross-dressing men and women alike, a fair few bare bottoms and more frenchmaids than you could shake a stick at. Not your average theatre crowd, that’s for sure. It could only mean one thing - the Rocky Horror Show had come to town.
Brad and Janet’s engagement trip takes a turn for the worst when their car breaks down, and they’re forced to look for help at the Frankenstein Place - a great castle in which strange scientific experiments and a whole lorra lovin’ takes place.
The play sees Brad and Janet embark on a hilarious journey of sexual discovery, and forces us to question who the real ‘freaks’ are. As my first experience of the Rocky Horror culture, I was overwhelmed by how lively the audience was. Heckling, singing along and standing during songs was encouraged if not necessary for the performance to continue. The entire room was on their feet and bashing out the routine for Time Warp, flashing garters for Sweet Transvestite, and giving their best Janet impressions duringToucha Toucha Touch Me.
With a cast including Diana Vickers of X Factor fame, and Paul from S Club 7 - I was particularly star struck by that one - I was nervous that the show would rely on gimmick and a recognised name to propel it through the run. This was not the case, and a polished, thorough performance was delivered by all, if slightly overshadowed by an exquisite Frank N Furter, Liam Tamne.
Often in theatre, a flashy stage and rip-roaring costumes can cleverly disguise what is actually a mediocre production, with less-than-slick routines and peculiar character decisions. Again, a trend well and truly bucked by Christopher Luscombe’s production in which large scale dance numbers were delivered with precision, in particular, a rip-roaring tap dance from Sophie Linder-Lee, who delivered an exceptional performance as Columbia.
I cannot sing the praises of this production highly enough. I’ve never wanted to belong to a group more than I have the Rocky Horror crowd. Expect to see me in full drag the next time the show comes to town.
The Rocky Horror Show plays at Nottingham's Theatre Royal until Saturday 30 April 2016.
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