Halloween and the Rocky Horror Show — what a devilishly delightful combination.
The cult musical exploded onto the stage at Leeds Grand Theatre last night to the screams, cheers (and jeers!) of an ecstatic audience.
Rocky Horror is more of a night out than a show — walking to the Grand we soon spotted giddy groups in fancy dress and every other bloke was sporting fishnet tights.
Then there’s the ad-libs that make the live show even more fun than the 1976 film.
Of course, most are too explicit to be printed here, but devoted fans will know what I’m on about. And there were plenty at the theatre last night.
The screams for Liam Tamne’s Frank-n-Furter had begun before he even appeared on stage.
He played the sassy transvestite with relish, treading the perfect line between sexual and sinister and stealing the show with every musical number.
Charlie Condou’s brief appearances as the iconic Narrator were a real highlight too.
The former Coronation Street actor played up to every audience ad-lib and even threw in a few of his own, occasionally breaking character to join in with the risqué commentary.
In fact there wasn’t a weak link in the entire cast — Sophie Linder-Lee’s energetic Columbia, Kristian Lavercombe’s creepy Riff Raff and Kay Murphy’s demonic Magenta were superb.
Brad and Janet’s naive romance was captured brilliantly by Richard Meek and Haley Flaherty, who even broke the fourth wall occasionally to reward the excitable audience.
The most impressive thing about Rocky Horror is the eclectic community it has created.
Before the show the audience compared costumes, complimenting every Riff Raff, Frank-n-Furter and Rocky that went the extra mile.
Once the show began, the audience interaction and fourth-wall breaking by the cast created a party atmosphere, resulting in thunderous applause, feet stamping and a rousing performance of the classic Time Warp routine before a much-deserved standing ovation.
It really is a special experience, once that has endured and evolved since the show’s 1975 debut, attracting scores of new followers who in turn learn the traditions and delights of the live show from seasoned veterans.
The storyline is utterly bizarre, but Rocky Horror has some of the most catchy numbers out there, as well as a cast of iconic, lasting characters.
Grab your fishnets, take a seat and get ready for one of the most fun nights in theatre you’ll ever have.
The Rocky Horror Show is at Leeds Grand Theatre until Saturday November 5.
Tickets cost £22-£43 — visit leedsgrandtheatre.com or call 0844 8482700.
