This evening I had the immense privilege to attend this ‘guaranteed party’ in all its glory, live at The Chester Storyhouse Theatre. Upon entering the theatre, I was greeted with the Rocky Horror tradition of audience dressing up in flamboyantly fabulous costumes (inspired by the show itself). This was complimented greatly by the intimate setting of the Storyhouse theatre, giving the audience a feeling of being fully involved in this production from the outset.
In this cult classic, innocent sweethearts Brad and Janet, stranded with their broken down vehicle during a storm, discover the dilapidated and eerie mansion owned by Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite scientist. As they lose all innocence, Brad and Janet meet a mansion full of wild characters. Fast-forward through elaborate dances and electric rock music, Frank-N-Furter unveils his latest creation: a muscular man named “Rocky.”
Our leading pair (Haley Flaherty as Janet and Richard Meek as Brad) are introduced to us from the beginning, in a Brecht-style/alternate-reality type scene, extremely different to the rest of the production. This created excitement and anticipation for what was to come. Opening with ‘Dammit Janet’, this couples vocals and physicality blended together dreamily, and set the scene for a very dreamboat-style show. Little by little we are introduced to the whacky characters residing in Frank N Furter’s mansion (Darcy Finden as the eccentric Columbia, Kristian Lavercombe as the hilariously creepy Riff Raff, Suzie Mcadam as Magenta and Ben Westhead as Rocky). Normally you are able to pick out at least someone within the ensemble who isn’t quite on the same wavelength as other performers – however each of the ensemble constantly drew my eye, you could watch any of them and become immersed into their own story – truly a sight to behold.
Not before long we are introduced to Frank N Furter, played by the jaw-dropping Stephen Webb. Webb held an obscene amount of power and confidence both with his vocals and physicality as this character, I may have never seen before in a musical theatre performance. Webb has a grittiness to his voice at times, working perfectly for the character – whilst constantly displaying the perfect killer vocal.
The lighting plot was intricate, boasting a vibrant, bold and extreme colour palette throughout – everything complimenting the piece of theatre we were witnessing. Standout moments included incredible strobe lighting used during ‘Sweet Transvestite’ drowning Webb and complimenting the powerhouse vocals being showcased. The return to ‘Transexual Transylvania’ was possibly the most immense lighting I have ever watched during a musical production, smoke and haze oozed across the stage and complimented this perfectly, leaving the audience speechless.
This production boasted a heavy set and incredibly high production values. From corner to corner across the ceiling, the theatre was draped in old movie reel. Each scene incorporated a different large prop, for example during the opening of Act 2 the stage was transformed into a bedroom with a huge stand up bed, helping give us the idea of the characters lying down – this was very cleverly done. I must also mention the opening set, the stage held a large brightly coloured car, fitted with working windscreen wipers and a moving steering wheel. This was made out of wood, to give a very cartoon/unrealistic feel, and I believe this was executed perfectly, deliberately as a parallel universe to the rest of the show.
The band was positioned carefully, sitting just above the movie reel draped across the ceiling. I must admit they were a hard spot at the beginning! Headed up by Musical Director Charlie Ingles, the power they added to these classic songs was a thrill to hear – they took well-known numbers and elevated them to another level. I particularly loved the playoff after the finale – I was not alone in this, as our audience held on to the bitter end to hear every last bit of their musical stylings.
Often during musicals we see unnecessary costume changes, however many characters stayed in the one costume throughout. This definitely helped us to familiarise ourselves with the characters, enabling us to relax into the show and plot quickly. The finale costumes were a sight to behold and must be mentioned. During this, the cast in its entirety graced us with blood red corsets and stockings (a close replica to Frank N Furter’s previous costume). At the end of this revealing Frank N Furter sporting a diamanté corset and stockings (once again, much like a previous costume, only jazzed up). The costuming of this show is just exquisite, it’s clear there is an obscene amount of talent being used to craft these.
‘The Rocky Horror Show’ is running at the Storyhouse Theatre in Chester from 27th February until 4th March. I urge everyone to purchase your tickets, as after the opening night I witnessed, I guarantee they will be flying out. https://www.storyhouse.com/event/rocky-horror-show
Reviewer: Grace Annabel
Reviewed: 27th February 2023
North West End UK Rating: ★★★★★