Join Jason Donovan for a great night out and time warp your cares away. Summary
Rating
Excellent
On the hottest night of the year what better way to spend the evening but to see the hottest production around, The Rocky Horror Show (hot goes for the theatre too – supplying fans was a brilliant idea)? Jason Donovan as Frank N Furter does not disappoint in a slick production of an old favourite. Transformed into the outrageous, stocking-clad transexual, transvestite Frank, Jason struts his naughtiness with the self-assurance of a true performer. Nathan Caton as the Narrator has the well-versed and rehearsed audience interjections in the bag, his comebacks and asides were, as you would expect, hilarious, well placed, well timed and his every appearance tingled with antici…pation.
Poor naive waifs Janet (Lauren Chia)and Brad (Connor Carson) bear their transformations with enthusiasm, giving the audience exactly what those roles require: we go from fear for their lives to ‘wow, what a night!’ While we’re on the sex scenes (and they were plentiful), a special shout out needs to go to the BSL signer whose name I don’t have but whose, let’s say ‘creative’ signed explanations of what was going on are unlikely to be found in any BSL handbook. It is an added fun factor watching his signing just to see how he might, for instance, explain ‘tea bagging’.
Morgan Jackson’s Rocky is delightful; his acrobatics are superb and his muscular strength epitomises the male body beautiful. Job Greuter as Riff Raff and Natasha Hoeberigs as Magenta are equally fantastic and (as required) completely over the top.
The staging and production values are great; there’s a lot happening on a Rocky Horrorstage and the complexity of the environments adds to the absurd nature of the show. The detail is almost too much to take in, though in all fairness I don’t think we’re going for Chekhov here. Nick Richings’lighting effects add the element of threat and playfully support the actions of the evil villains.
The band skilfully supply a rip-roaring soundtrack to the well-known and obviously well-loved songs and didn’t miss a beat. My only criticism was the sound was sometimes muffled or drowned to the point where the words of the songs – which is where a lot of the humour lies – were lost.
The audience did a sterling job with naughty and witty interjections, their own lighting effects and of course dancing. Towards the end everyone was on their feet time warping not only again but again and again, including the eighty-one-year-old friend I’d taken with me who until that day hadn’t even heard of The Rocky Horror Show, which must surely be testament to the longevity and universal appeal of this blockbuster.
One could discuss the political pros and cons of Rocky Horror but why do that when so many people enjoyed it, had fun and forgot about the pros and cons of what’s happening in the world for a few hours. A great night out.
Written by: Richard O’Brien
Directed by: Christopher Luscombe
Design by: Hugh Durrant
Costume design by: Sue Blane
Choreography by: Nathan M Wright
Lighting design by: Nick Richings
Sound design by: Gareth Owen
Musical arrangement by: Richard Hartley
Music Supervisor: Greg Arrowsmith
Rocky Horror Show plays at New Wimbledon Theatre until Saturday 5 July. The show tours throughout 2025 and into 2026, with all dates available below. Note Jason Donovan only appears at select venues.
