The Rocky Horror Show:
Fiendish, Fabulous and Back Again!

Cult classics don’t come more kooky than this one! Fresh off the heels of last years 50th Anniversary Tour, The Rocky Horror Show has returned to us from Transylvania before Melburnians even had a chance to miss it.

As the fabulous red curtain is peeled back, the audience meets Brad and Janet, the quintessential fine upstanding American kids who have just gotten engaged. Thrilled, they decide to visit their old science tutor Dr Everett Scott, whose class they met in, to tell him the good news. Along the way they encounter some car trouble, and decide to enter a terrifying castle to find help. Now, anyone might guess that this is a bad move, but what transpires behind those big manor doors is a cautionary tale filled with madmen, rock n’ roll, sexuality, and… aliens? But we’ll get to that later.

In a technicolour whirlwind, the cast is truly stacked with talent as they bring this absurd tale to life. 

Darcey Eagle and Ellis Dolan are perfection as Columbia and Eddie/Dr Scott, with exceptional characterisation. Daniel Erbacher’s performance as Rocky is every bit as shiny as the glitter he was covered in, a rocket of energy from the second he steps onstage. 

With a voice that’s just as much rockstar as it is angelic, Stellar Perry seems born to play Magenta, and also features as the Usherette, beginning the show with the iconic “Science Fiction Double Feature” in style. 

Henry Rollo is terrifyingly sensational as Riff Raff, with a rendition of “The Time Warp” that sends shockwaves of joy through the audience. One of those actors who can transform (or laser-beam) a supporting role into a lead, Rollo is one to watch in this show and many more to come!

As half of the all-American couple, we had Keane Fletcher as Brad who did not disappoint. Hyper aware of Janet’s infatuation with Rocky, his background acting was just as entertaining as watching him perform “Dammit Janet”, smashing those high notes, we might add.

Flittering as she watches the world through rose-coloured glasses, Deirdre Khoo’s Janet snatches the show in her respectably manicured hands. Her transition from wide-eyed to mortified is outstanding, and mirroring that in her voice earnt her a whoop from the audience when performing “Super Heroes”. A stand-out in each scene, she’s a slick, polished expert in her character’s Mary Jane heels.

As the narrator of the tantalising tale, Joel Creasey is in his element. Battling through the tricky call and response, he seamlessly weaves in the laughs with a flourish, and also gets to have some fun singing and dancing in the encore.

At this evening’s performance, we were gifted with Blake Bowden as Frank N Furter, wrapped in a corset rather than Brad’s bow tie and delivered effortlessly. Jason Donovan’s alternate for this run, Bowden thrives in the absurdity of his transvestite/scientist/alien character and rarely falters in the high-octane nature of the show.

With an ensemble of only four "Phantoms", their impact on the show outshines their quantity. From the moment they emerge behind the scenery, these wicked little creatures set the tone for the whole musical.

Among the clever set design, fabulous costuming and ions of talent, The Rocky Horror Show falters in its subject matter. Originally intended as a satirical representation of B-horror movies from the early to mid twentieth century, it’s off the beaten track and can throw new viewers for a loop, particularly in the second act. At the reveal that these already eccentric characters who all bow to a master are also aliens, you start to wonder if you’re at the same musical you were in act one. In the scenes where those held captive are made to put on a floor show with Frank, the detour the plot takes feels almost irreparable. But with Rocky Horror’s cult following there are those who love every mad aspect of the plot, and with an open mind you can too!

Another drawback for this one is its run time. With the popularisation of interval-less productions across Australia, it begs the question of why a show with a one hour and fourty minute run time hasn’t been condensed into one long party (as it was originally debuted). Particularly with act one finale “I Can Make You A Man”, audiences aren’t left with a very strong impact before they bolt to the bathrooms.

Nonetheless, Rocky Horror is a fun, feisty, flesh-slashing extravaganza, and if you’re partial to the strange and unusual side of theatre then you’ll adore this one! Don’t hesitate, Melbourne!

The Rocky Horror Show is currently running at The Athenaeum Theatre until the 23rd of March!

Find out more at their website: The Rocky Horror Show Australia

This review is based upon the performance of The Rocky Horror Show on the 13th of February, 2024. 

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