Just got back through the snow after watching the Rocky Horror show at Bristol Hippodrome. This is what I thought…
Well it was bloody brilliant! If you like the film I hugely recommended you go and see it if it’s touring near you. Every single person in the cast could sing amazingly well – including the celebrities! My daughter dressed up as Magenta and I went as Janet and we both looked fantastic even if I do say so myself; and even if our feet froze wading through the snow between the car park and the theatre! Half the fun of going is looking at all the other costumes people are wearing. We saw some very brave men indeed! Unfortunately health and safety means no props were allowed to be thrown in the air at all, but I still took a newspaper for the storm scene. If you want to get involved in the audience participation, then it’s worth a look online before you go. A couple of people near us knew the whole script and it made the show extra funny. I was too shy to yell out ‘Describe your balls’ to the narrator, but someone else did, which was just as well. (Heavy, black and pendulous.) Philip Franks was ready with his answers and did some off-the-cuff remarks too, which were all very funny.
It would be interesting to know how different the show is now to the original stage show, because I shouldn’t really compare it to the film. The storyline was very close indeed, but there was no actual party really – not enough cast I suppose; and no dinner scene (so good job I didn’t bother bringing toast). The bed scenes were much ruder than the film (so be warned for uncomfortable vibes if you’re taking your kids!), and very cleverly done with an upright bed!
The cast were brilliant and in particular Oliver Thornton as Frank-N-Furter, who absolutely made the show. So butch and manly even in a corset and stockings! (Makes you want to take Charles Atlas by the hand.) None of them held back at all and fully went for it with all the intimate and raunchy bits.
Rhydian from X Factor played Rocky much better than expected and has well and truly beefed up for the part. I haven’t got time for the whole cast, but they were all amazing singers and Ceris Hine sounded just like Columbia. One small criticism, and that’s Roxanne Pallet’s acting – she did all the moves, but her face was fairly expressionless. During T-t-t-t-t-t-touch me, she looked like she was worrying about her gas bill or something.
It was definitely my favourite show from the 4 I’ve seen at the Bristol Hippodrome. The audience stood up and did the time warp, and had a dance for Hot Patootie. Plus the cast came back on at the end for another round of Time Warp and Sweet Transvestite so we all left the theatre feeling absolute pleasure.
