07/10/13 - 'The Rocky Horror Show' at Hull New Theatre

"When a man is bored of transvestite alien sex, he is bored of life itself" - truer words were never spoken, yet this is a phrase I didn't expected to hear in my life.  But a lot of things that you don't expect happen when you go to see cult classic The Rocky Horror Show.  Especially considering the fact that a lot of the people I went with had little knowledge of the show before setting foot in the Hull New Theatre - they really had no idea what they were letting themselves in for.  


And of course you have to get dressed up.















  
For those who don't know, the plot follows the saccharine all-American sweethearts Brad and Janet as their lives are turned upside down when they stumble upon the bizarre home of 'sweet transvestite' Frank-N-Furter on the eve that he brings to life his (much sexier) version of Frankenstein's monster.  With well-known musical numbers and equally famous heckles from the audience, this touring production celebrating forty years of camp kinkiness has been a hit with die-hard fans and Rocky Horror virgins alike.

The star-studded cast didn't disappoint; Dani Harmer far exceeded my expectations as the straight-laced Janet Weiss.  Her comic timing was spot-on, her vocals definitely impressed and her sultry performance earned many exclamations of "my childhood is ruined...I saw Tracy Beaker's tits!" as we left the theatre.  Rhydian 'off of the X-Factor' was perfectly at home in Rocky's gold shorts and Philip Franks' narration was brilliant - he had everyone in fits of mirth as he wittily rebuffed the customary shouts from the audience.


*


 
Of course the real star of the show is the stunning Oliver Thornton, giving Tim Curry's seminal performance as Frank-N-Furter a run for its money.  He struts around the stage, working the iconic suspenders and basque with such conviction that he could send the overexcited audience into paroxysms of delight with a mere flick of an ankle or quirk of an eyebrow.  I defy anyone to come away from that performance without feeling even a flicker of doubt in their previous sexuality - men and women alike will find themselves squealing with joy as Thornton milks every line and movement to best possible effect.


*





 
And the party didn't stop when we left the theatre - of course it didn't, who do you think we are?  Fuelled by £1 shots and the kind of confidence one can only gain from wearing fishnets and sequins, we made our way to Hull's only gay club to dance the night away.  And obviously it was only polite to invite the evening's leading man to have a boogie with us.  Unfortunately (but probably sensibly for him), he was unable to but we were happy to receive such a gracious tweet in response, even if it was turning down our offer.


What a gent.

If you get a chance, I would seriously recommend getting your hands on tickets (details can be found on the official website).  It was an utterly fabulous evening; the outrageous costumes all over the theatre and risque audience participation don't detract at all from the stellar performances of everyone involved in the production.  You'll come away not only humming the Time Warp and wishing the performance could have been longer - trust me, it's over in a flash - but also with a new sense of resolve to heed Frank's inspirational words: "Don't dream it, be it".

Are you a Rocky fan, or is it all new to you?  Let me know in the comments!

As ever, pictures marked with '*' are not mine.

4 comments:

  1. I absolutely love the Rocky Horror!! Your hair looks gorgeous here too :) xx
    www.LaurasHaven.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much! It was such fun, I would recommend seeing it if you can :) xx

      Delete
  2. I would LOVE to see this! It looks amazing (: xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Check out the tour website and see if it's coming near you - totally worth it! xxx

      Delete