Review: Rocky Horror is fabulous at 50

The Rocky Horror Show, Edinburgh Playhouse, until Saturday 18 March

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It’s just a jump to the left and suddenly you find it’s 50 years later. Now that’s what I call a Time-Warp!

Richard O’Brien’s cult rock opera, The Rocky Horror Show, celebrates a significant birthday this year and is doing so in style with a slick new production boasting a spectacular Frank-N-Furter in Stephen Webb, a razor sharp Narrator in Philip Franks, and the record-breaking power-house that is Kristian Lavercombe, who has now played Riff Raff more times than anyone else in the show’s history, while effortlessly demonstrating his vocal prowess.

The Rocky Horror Show tells the story of High School sweethearts Brad Majors and Janet Weiss and their encounter with the alien Transvestite scientist, Dr Frank-N-Furter.

In this delightfully subversive parody on the B movies of yesteryear, the advice is simple, ‘Don’t dream it, be it,’ an ethos that speaks to as many today as it did when the show premiered in 1973.

From the moment Suzie McAdam struts on stage as the Usherette to belt out the opening number, Science Fiction, the 1,900 strong audience are up for it.

However, if her welcome is as raucous as it is warm, as the story unfolds the arrival of each new character raises the bar, and the sound levels, even higher.

Haley Flaherty and Richard Meek’s Janet and Brad are wonderfully matched, him, all bemused innocence, her, more knowing and naughty.

Lavercombe remains imperious as Riff Raff and builds nice business with McAdam who doubles as Magenta, while Darcy Finden as Columbia proves it’s not all about sex and giggles as she delivers a nuanced and, in one scene, quite heart-breaking moment causing an unexpected hush to fall over the boisterous audience.

Elsewhere, Ben Westhead is an easy on the eye if dippily dim Rocky and Joe Allen, as both Eddie and Dr Scott, ups the energy with the backing of Musical Director Charlie Inglis and the faultless Rocky Horror band, as together they put the rock’n’roll into blistering renditions of Sweet Patootie and Eddie.

But it’s Franks and Webb who are the star turns. Franks ensures audience interaction never falters with topical, well thought out and beautifully delivered laugh out loud ripostes that, on occasion, cause involuntary intakes of breath.

Which just leaves Webb, a towering Frank-N-Furter who imbues his alien scientist with a level of dark truth often eschewed in favour of comedy. His is a prowling, dangerously assertive creation with flashes of sublime madness. It’s a butch and bonny performance that captivates completely.

Directed with pace by Christopher Luscombe, there is little doubt Richard O’Brien’s modern classic is growing old disgracefully, and that’s exactly how it should be. Standing ovations all round.

Runs at the Edinburgh Playhouse until Saturday 18 March and then on nationwide tour. Details here: https://rockyhorror.co.uk/