★★★★★ | The Rocky Horror Show
Nearly 45 years on from its debut, Richard O’Brien’s cult musical needs very little introduction. The show follows Brad and Janet, two 50’s Americana sweethearts who stumble upon the castle of Frank-N-Furter; a cross dressing scientist cum force of nature, on the evening that he is to bring his Frankenstein-esque playmate to life.
As a musical it remains larger than life; and like Frank’s creation himself, the show has taken on a life of its own. With its affectionate nod to the B-Movie science fiction genre of the 50’s, it’s cult following is unparalleled and its fans amongst the most fiercely loyal you will find.
The role of Frank-N-Furter is so iconic, that you need a larger than life personality to fill the fishnets, and Stephen Webb does a great job blending Frank’s camptastic alluring persona whilst maintaining an underlying gruffness to his vocal performance, along with Philip Franks as the narrator, brilliantly trading quips with the audience. But to be fair, you would be hard pressed to find a weak link within the cast in this top-notch production.
Rocky Horror is presented here in all its gloriously loud, brash, colourful, neon day-glo garishness, with a set which looks luxurious and holds an almost cartoon-like feel to it; all accompanied by an excellent lighting design by Nick Richings which flooded the stage in reds, greens and purples, and some steady direction by Christopher Luscombe.
Rocky Horror is a phenomenon, and the atmosphere at any Rocky Horror performance is one which has to be experienced. This production provides a fresh feel to a classic show and one which engages the audience like no other. So pull on your fishnet stockings, warm up your vocal cords, leave your inhibitions in the foyer and go and “give yourself over to absolute pleasure”.
Rocky Horror is at the Sheffield Lyceum until Saturday 23rd February 2019, before continuing on its national tour. For details visit the show’s official website.
