It’s difficult when you review a show you enjoy so much and go into the theatre as a ready made fan. So yes, we love the ROCKY HORROR SHOW but we also went to the opening night at the New Theatre in Cardiff with an open mind and wanted to see something special – well, I can tell you straight away, we did.

For those of you who haven’t experienced Rock Horror live, and believe me, it is an experience like no other, you are in for an eye-opening time. All the things you associate with a night at the theatre are thrown out the window and replaced with a wild, crazy, interactive event. The audience are as much a part of Rocky as the actors on stage.

You might be getting your best outfit on for a lovely evening out, but the die hard fans of the show will be dressed slightly differently. When you arrive at the theatre there’s a fair chance you’ll see stockings, suspenders, basques and a whole range of wild and crazy hair and make up. The women tend to join in with that look too.

Just for the record, I have been to the show in full thigh revealing, glory. No you can’t see the picture, and yes, I was dressed ‘normally’ for press night, apart from my nod to ‘Brad” bow tie.

Five paragraphs in and I still haven’t mentioned the show itself, that’s how important the whole audience experience is. If this is your first time, embrace it all, and if you don’t know the specific lines the audience shout out to the cast, just sit back and enjoy it, it is great fun being in the audience.

Here’s what the opening night crowd, dressed in their finest Rocky Horror outfits, thought of the show……

You may not think you know the songs of Rocky Horror, but even first timers seem to sing-a-long, you will definitely know more than you think. Case in point below……

It’s just a jump to the left.

And then a step to the right.

With your hand on your hips.

You bring your knees in tight.
But it’s the pelvic thrust.
They really drive you insane.
Let’s do the Time Warp again.
Let’s do the Time Warp again.

This show may well be more than fifty years old, but it is as entertaining, and actually even more relevant now than its ever been. It was written by Richard O’Brien, and had its first public airing at The Royal Court in 1973. Two years later the movie was released, making stars of the likes of Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, and the late Meat Loaf.

So how do you take such an iconic piece, which has been seen and enjoyed the world over, in a whole manner of reincarnations (see what we did there?). Well, you hand the reigns over to Director CHRISTOPHER LUSCOBMBE, who has worked on the likes of Spamalot and Little Shop of Horrors and get award winning designer HUGH DURRANT on board, and you have something really special.

Rocky Horror is naughty and sexy but incredibly funny. The songs are clever and saucy and it takes a top-notch cast to pull them off, and that’s exactly what we have on the New Theatre stage.

The story follows squeaky-clean sweethearts Brad and Janet on an adventure they’ll never forget. In comes Strictly champion ORE ODUBA as Brad and HAYLEY FLAHERTY as Janet (who is as good a newly engaged – soon to be Frank’n’fied woman as you’ll see anywhere).

Brad and Janet get engaged in the opening scene of the show (below) and celebrate by heading out to see the Professor who got them together. On the way, their car breaks down, they end up at the mansion of one Dr Frank’n’Furter, who happens to be an alien and a transvestite. Frank is about to unveil his latest creation and is hosting a party to welcome the very hunky ‘Rocky’ into the world.

The innocence of Brad and Janet doesn’t remain intact for long as they get caught up in the decadent world of the good Doctor and his band of playful misfits.

Don’t for one minute think that Ore is the token ‘bloke off the telly’ brought in to be the face of the show. He can sing, and dance (obviously), and he is a proper actor. He brings a cheeky innocence to Brad which is actually really hard to pull off, but he most certainly does, brilliantly.

The role of Frank’n’Furter is equally challenging, with Tim Curry having set a very high benchmark in the movie for all future Franks to live up to – STEPHEN WEBB fills those stockings perfectly. I’m sure he won’t mind us saying that he channelled all the best parts of Mr Curry and brought something new and thrilling to the Rocky Horror party.

We spoke to Stephen before he arrived in Cardiff (HERE) and he admitted that this role took him way out of his comfort zone, having previously been in Jersey Boys and Legally Blonde. Rest assured that the sex-crazed, sweet transvestite is in excellent hands.

There is another ‘bloke off the telly’ in the show, and that is the brilliant PHILLIP FRANKS. Most of us will remember him from the original Darling Buds of May where he was Charlie, but of course he did a fair stretch in Heartbeat too as Sgt. Craddock.

As the narrator in Rocky Horror, Phillip is a real joy. His is the only role which steps out of the action and interacts (and reacts) to the audience, and while we know a lot of what he says is by the book, it feels natural and impromptu. He tells the story of Brad and Janet and guides us through the much anticipated ‘Time Warp’.

Phillip is really funny, and dare we say one of our favourite narrators? And we even saw the legendary Nicholas Parsons in the role.

Parts of his narration are right up to date with Boris Johnson references (I will survive) and more than a few comments about the good folk, and places of Cardiff

BEN WESTHEAD is the Rocky created by Frank and is brilliant at whipping the audience into a frenzy. He is monstrously good in what is his first professional UK tour as an adult. In the outside world he’s also a personal trainer, and clearly a fair exponent of practising what he preaches.

KRISTIAN LAVERCOMBE is a seasoned Rocky Horror favourite, having notched up something like 1300 performances for the UK’s 40th Anniversary Tour, the New Zealand and Asian Tours, and also the recent Australian Tours. As Riff-Raff he inhabits perfectly the role made famous by show creator Richard O’ Brien

I almost feel like I’m singling out performances, and that’s a little unfair. Every member of the cast makes this show what it is, throw in an overly enthusiastic Cardiff audience, and this is the perfect way to welcome back live shows into the New Theatre.

And that brings me right back to where I started, the audience. If this is your first time there are a few Rocky Rules you need to follow.

If you are dressing up for the show, don’t criticise other people’s costumes. Everyone has the right to wear whatever they wish. Some people make carbon-copies of the stage costumes, others take a more abstract approach. Some don’t dress up at all.

There are some No-No’s……….

• Suits. These are only worn by people who thought they were booking for Phantom of the Opera or Chicago, but called the wrong number.
• Sandals, anoraks or anything remotely connected with the acquisition of British Rail rolling stock serial numbers.

Talk-back lines should be used to add to the Rocky experience, don’t try to shout down other people, they might know some better lines, the best lines are the unexpected., especially if the cast start to giggle!

Audience Participation should always be complementary to the show, never just shouting out lines for the hell of it.

And the most important rule of all is…………

EVERYBODY MUST TIME WARP

This production of Rocky Horror is a must see for fans and ‘virgins’ alike. It may be fifty years old but it feels new and shiny on the stage of the New Theatre in Cardiff where it’ll be till Saturday. Performances are at 7:30pm till Thursday. On Friday and Saturday there are shows at 5:30pm and 8:30pm. Tickets start at £25 with a variety of concessions. Grab yours now however as they really as selling fast. You can get more details HERE.

And to take a look at our original preview feature, packed with Rocky facts, dance instructions and our interview with Stephen Webb (Frank’n’Furter), go HERE.

And as a little bonus, here is a download of the entire Audience Participation Script HERE – have a look through before you go to the theatre and you’ll have an idea of what to shout and when.