Richard O'Brien's 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' has long been a favourite of ours and despite having seen the stage version on tour just 6 months ago we were excited to visit the beautiful Sunderland Empire Theatre and see it again this week. Fans braved the freezing temperatures and turned out in droves, many dressed in the traditional stockings and suspenders, to enjoy the show.
If you are new to the stage version of this cult classic you could be forgiven for being a little freaked out! Lets just say, it's not for children or those of a more prudish disposition! It is customary that the audience participate in the show as much as possible and that means you should expect a lot of back chat, innuendo and prop usage throughout.
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| Photo credit: Rockyhorror.co.uk |
If you are new to the stage version of this cult classic you could be forgiven for being a little freaked out! Lets just say, it's not for children or those of a more prudish disposition! It is customary that the audience participate in the show as much as possible and that means you should expect a lot of back chat, innuendo and prop usage throughout.
The plot is such; newly engaged Brad and Janet head out on a stormy night to visit their old professor who brought them together and in the process they get a flat tyre. They then stumble upon a spooky castle full of very odd characters and chaos ensues! The plot has more holes than the fishnets the character of Frank-N-Furter wears but, lets be honest, we do not love this show for the plot. We love it for the catchy music and the sheer fun that is had by cast and audience alike!
On the subject of the cast there were some standouts for us and we have to say that this is our favourite Rocky Horror Tour cast to date. Liam Tamne does a fabulous job of playing the sometimes playful and sometimes scary Frank-N-Furter. When he is on stage you cannot take your eyes off him he has such presence in the role. His voice is perfect throughout and showcased wonderfully in his final song, 'I'm Going Home'.
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| Photo credit: Rockyhorror.co.uk |
The part of Janet was played by Haley Flaherty, a West End pro with a list of credits as long as your arm. She was totally engaging as the innocent girl next door, Janet Weiss and she has a great vocal range!
When we first saw Brad, played by Richard Meek, we felt that he was perhaps a little too musclebound for the geeky Brad Majors but we were won over by his acting and excellent vocal ability. His voice really shone in Brads deleted-from-the-movie solo 'Once in a While'.
Final cast shout out to Royal Shakespeare Company thespian, Philip Franks as The Narrator and the lynchpin of the whole production. His experience and professionalism was evident in his ability to field whatever the audience threw at him during the show! His seemingly off the cuff comebacks were very funny and well received by the audience throughout. Such a great addition to an already amazing ensemble cast.
One of our favourite things about Rocky Horror live is that the cast enthusiasm is so infectious! They all seem to be having so much fun and this definitely rubs off on the audience. You can certainly tell when a cast love working together. From the opening notes of 'Science Fiction/Double Feature' (which, incidentally, almost knock you off your seat!) to the final smoke filled refrain of 'Super Heroes' and everything else in between we can safely say that we loved every minute.
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| Photo credit: Rockyhorror.co.uk |
If you get the chance to see the show before the end of this tour we would highly recommend that you do! With, in our opinion, the best UK touring cast to date you are in for a treat!
Now, we are off to do the Time Warp..........again.
Love Elle and Mimi x
You can find full details of the remaining tour dates, cast info and lots more on the official Rocky Horror UK Tour site here
You can find full details of the remaining tour dates, cast info and lots more on the official Rocky Horror UK Tour site here
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