The Rocky Horror Show Playhouse Edinburgh 13th March 2023 Review
Rocky Horror Show photo credits David Feeeman
The Rocky Horror Show is at the Playhouse Theatre Edinburgh this week (Mon 13 Mar - Sat 18 Mar) and the show is celebrating its 50th year in all of its usual style and good taste. Wikipedia tells me that all those years ago “The show was produced and directed by Jim Sharman. The original London production of the musical was premièred at the Royal Court Theatre (Upstairs) on 19 June 1973 (after two previews on 16 and 18 June 1973).”
Now, in 2023, audiences are still filling theatres across the world for this show, but somehow, show creator Richard O’ Brien has pulled a trick, a sleight of hand on many of us as somehow the cast of the show have got stuck in their “time-warp” and many of us in the audience have aged 50 years. Could this be something to do with our trio of aliens or Einstein’s special relativity in relation to time in action?
Over the years, there have been many people taking the performance roles in this show (Tim Curry and Richard O’Brien of course included in that list), but this show’s current cast are for the most part as well fitted to their respective roles as I have seen on stage in many recent tours. Heading that cast list for me is Kristian Lavercombe as Riff Raff, and with more than 2000 performances in this role, he has been the one constant in a changing show for many years and has made his “Riff Raff” the contemporary definitive of that role. Kristian plays Riff Raff so well that The Rocky Horror Show is now as much his show as it is Dr Frank N Furter’s.
Speaking of our cross-dressing star of the show, this is never an easy role for anyone to bring on stage as there is a fine razor edged wire that has to be walked to give everyone their very own Frank N Furter on stage. Over the years, many different versions of this not too well emotionally balanced creator of his very own man have taken to the stage with varying degrees of success but, tonight, Stephen Webb got Frank just right (for me anyhow). Here on stage we have a very strong, very masculine Frank who will let no one or anything stand in the way of his personal pleasures or his scientific experiments. This Frank N Furter by Stephen Webb is always dangerous to be around if he takes that inclination towards you. With a very strong definition of Frank, Stephen Webb also continued to give an equally strong delivery and performance of all of his songs that we all love so much from this show.
Equally well suited to their roles, Haley Flaherty as Janet and Richard Meek as Brad both seemed to understand well that originally naivety of their characters and what they both lose and gain once they enter that castle on a cold and windy night to seek nothing more than shelter and a telephone.
Rounding off our main cast, Darcy Finden is a good Columbia who always makes the most of her on stage time and Suzie McAdam as Usher/Magenta was obviously having fun in both roles. Getting well deserved applause too, was Joe Allen as Eddie/Dr Scott. The role of Narrator this tour is taken by Philip Franks and it is really this role that has the majority of the interaction with the show audience. Some people obviously liked some of Philip’s responses, others less so.
The Rocky Horror Show has over the last few years had more than a revision or two, and the subtle changes continue in this production too. Some work, some don’t (well for me anyhow) and perhaps the trouble is that this show was perfect first time around and it does not need updates, it survives perfectly well within its own time warp.
With so much always happening on stage, it is always easy to forget the Rocky Horror Show live band who once again did a great job all night with the music of this show.
The one odd thing that does seem to be happening with this show is that audiences are over the years often becoming far more muted, less interactive with the show; maybe just as Bob Dylan sang “The Times They Are a-Changin”.
As we are having a 50th anniversary of this show, it seems only fitting to dedicate this review to Richard O’Brien for creating all of this world for us to come and live in for a few hours when we come to see the show, and of course to Tim Curry, the definitive Frank N Furter for so many Rocky Horror fans.
Review by Tom King © 2023
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
Now, in 2023, audiences are still filling theatres across the world for this show, but somehow, show creator Richard O’ Brien has pulled a trick, a sleight of hand on many of us as somehow the cast of the show have got stuck in their “time-warp” and many of us in the audience have aged 50 years. Could this be something to do with our trio of aliens or Einstein’s special relativity in relation to time in action?
Over the years, there have been many people taking the performance roles in this show (Tim Curry and Richard O’Brien of course included in that list), but this show’s current cast are for the most part as well fitted to their respective roles as I have seen on stage in many recent tours. Heading that cast list for me is Kristian Lavercombe as Riff Raff, and with more than 2000 performances in this role, he has been the one constant in a changing show for many years and has made his “Riff Raff” the contemporary definitive of that role. Kristian plays Riff Raff so well that The Rocky Horror Show is now as much his show as it is Dr Frank N Furter’s.
Speaking of our cross-dressing star of the show, this is never an easy role for anyone to bring on stage as there is a fine razor edged wire that has to be walked to give everyone their very own Frank N Furter on stage. Over the years, many different versions of this not too well emotionally balanced creator of his very own man have taken to the stage with varying degrees of success but, tonight, Stephen Webb got Frank just right (for me anyhow). Here on stage we have a very strong, very masculine Frank who will let no one or anything stand in the way of his personal pleasures or his scientific experiments. This Frank N Furter by Stephen Webb is always dangerous to be around if he takes that inclination towards you. With a very strong definition of Frank, Stephen Webb also continued to give an equally strong delivery and performance of all of his songs that we all love so much from this show.
Equally well suited to their roles, Haley Flaherty as Janet and Richard Meek as Brad both seemed to understand well that originally naivety of their characters and what they both lose and gain once they enter that castle on a cold and windy night to seek nothing more than shelter and a telephone.
Rounding off our main cast, Darcy Finden is a good Columbia who always makes the most of her on stage time and Suzie McAdam as Usher/Magenta was obviously having fun in both roles. Getting well deserved applause too, was Joe Allen as Eddie/Dr Scott. The role of Narrator this tour is taken by Philip Franks and it is really this role that has the majority of the interaction with the show audience. Some people obviously liked some of Philip’s responses, others less so.
The Rocky Horror Show has over the last few years had more than a revision or two, and the subtle changes continue in this production too. Some work, some don’t (well for me anyhow) and perhaps the trouble is that this show was perfect first time around and it does not need updates, it survives perfectly well within its own time warp.
With so much always happening on stage, it is always easy to forget the Rocky Horror Show live band who once again did a great job all night with the music of this show.
The one odd thing that does seem to be happening with this show is that audiences are over the years often becoming far more muted, less interactive with the show; maybe just as Bob Dylan sang “The Times They Are a-Changin”.
As we are having a 50th anniversary of this show, it seems only fitting to dedicate this review to Richard O’Brien for creating all of this world for us to come and live in for a few hours when we come to see the show, and of course to Tim Curry, the definitive Frank N Furter for so many Rocky Horror fans.
Review by Tom King © 2023
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com