Midway through its UK tour, The Rock Horror Show is a franchise which retains its cult appeal and an ardent band of followers despite being over fifty years old. And there were no complaints here from the almost full audience, who cheered and bayed and provided the necessary responses at the appropriate times, and also plenty of unnecessary responses at inappropriate times!
This time around, ex-Neighbours star, 56-year-old Jason Donovan takes on the alien, transvestite scientist lead role as the mercurial Frank-N-Furter. Donovan’s Frank is a languid, louche and limp-wigged affair, more aging aunt than sexy vamp. This is Dame Edna in stockings and suspenders, and for me at least, it doesn’t entirely pay off. Given the look and the speed of delivery, which is generally a slow, eye-rolling and tongue-swirling drawl Donovan tends to put a handbrake (intentionally) on what is otherwise a free-wheeling production.
This is clearly a directional decision, but it is quite a risk.
The music is the real star here, and the powerful five-piece band under Musical Director Josh Sood, largely invisible behind the movie-themed set, provide the perfect soundscape for all those melodies we know and love. It has also to be noted that the Playhouse sound system, which has had its problems over the years, has never sounded better. The opening numbers in particular, featuring the talented duo, Brad (Connor Carson) and Janet (Lauren Chia) are crisp, clear and lush.
Comedian, Nathan Caton is also excellent as the dulcet-toned narrator. His quick-witted comebacks to the audiences’ shouted responses are certainly one of the highlights. It certainly takes a cool customer to bat every ribald remark back into the stalls with interest and to make it look so easy. His ‘dark chocolate with a creamy ganache filling’, had the audience howling.
Likewise, Job Greuter’s pan-faced and hunch-backed Riff Raff shines with a surprisingly high vocal range and with some killer dance moves. No more so than in the stand-out number of the first half, where he leads the cast in the iconic Time Warp.
Arguably the hardest role to fill in the whole production, requiring a Charles Atlas physique coupled with acting, singing and dancing, (a quadruple threat!) and the ability to do a backflip, is Rocky. Frank-N-Furter’s Frankenstein creation is brilliantly brought to life by Morgan Jackson. The oddity in the first half is that even Rocky’s appearance cannot seem to elicit an excited response from Frank.
The reason for Frank’s boredom becomes clearer in the second half, he is just desperately missing his home planet. Indeed, there is certainly some redemption in Donovan’s final scene with his majestic rendition of the Bluesy and gospel-inspired, ‘I’m Going Home’, surely his high point in the production.
The good news is that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with this show, it sounds and looks fantastic and for fans of the title, Donovan’s new take on the lead role might be just about the best reason of all to see it just one more time!
Reviewer: Greg Holstead
Reviewed: 20th January 2025
North West End UK Rating:
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Running time – 2hrs with interval
