The Rocky Horror Show

Richard B’Brien

Trafalgar Theatre Productions

Palace Theatre, Manchester

May 19-31, 2025; 2 hrs

(also Leeds Grand, June 2-7; Hull New Theatre, July 14-19)

Jason Donovan as Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show. Pics: company

Almost unbelievably, The Rocky Horror Show is 50 years old. It started its life as a celebration of American science-fiction B-movies at the Royal Court's tiny Theatre Upstairs in 1975 and has been a raucous perennial of musical theatre ever since.

Now enjoying cult status, the show has been performed around the world and has returned to Manchester many times, giving followers and newcomers a chance to dress up and join in with long-established and acceptable heckling.

I first saw it many years ago: at the regional premiere at Oldham Coliseum in 1981, and again some years later at Manchester’s much missed Forum Theatre.

Now the city has the chance to see Jason Donovan as Frank N Furter in a long-tested production directed by Christopher Luscombe, part of a world tour.

The show tells the story of two squeaky-clean college kids – Brad and his fiancee Janet, whose car breaks down outside a creepy mansion on their way to visit their former college professor. They meet the charismatic Dr Frank N Furter, and a new and literally alien world opens up to them.

How does it stand up, 50 years on, in a very different climate to that of 1975?

As an entertaining night out, it stands up very well indeed. Early sound quality issues were quickly sorted out and the show moved at pace.

Jason Donovan is a delight as the ageing Dr. Frank N Furter. There’s a suggestion that he understands his powers are waning, so the unexpected arrival of squeaky clean Brad and Janet adds further fire to his desire.

All the performances are superb. Connor Carson as Brad and Lauren Chia as Janet are hilarious as cartoon-style 1950s embodiments of the American Dream, making their conversion all the more fun.

Job Greuter embodies Riff Raff with considerable power, making his slave-like servant role even more impressive. Natasha Hoeberigs charms as the usherette and challenges as Magenta, alongside the cooky charm and dancing skills of Jayme-Lee Zanoncelli as Columbia. Morgan Jackson is a staggeringly impressive body-built athletic Rocky, rocking a pair of leopard skin trunks, surrounded by muscles, but brings a charm to the role that I haven’t quite seen before.

The show wouldn’t work anywhere near as well without the narrator. In this role, Jackie Clune is commanding, playful, ironic and able to engage with the audience, regardless of whether the heckling is anticipated, unexpected or even missing!

The well-known songs, Sweet Transvestite, Dammit Janet and of course The Time Warp, are delivered with gusto and clarity, supported by musical director Josh Sood, who runs a tight band. Sue Blane’s costumes are exciting and Hugh Darren’s set design provides plenty of variety, with a cinema film strip panel fronting the band.

So how does this 50-year-old show stand up? The landscape has changed over the half-century, with erotic lingerie and much more, now easily available on the High Street. There’s open discussion about various sexual practices, orientation and identity, and Individuals have more freedom than ever. The show can’t have the shock-impact it once had, though there might be some discomfort on the advance-consent issue.

But that's for serious discussion; audiences usually take the show as they find it - basically a funny, saucy night out if you like that sort of thing, and many many people, with a variety of desires, do like it.

The publicity machine says the show is suitable only for ages is 12+. I think some families might want to raise that bar. But no worries, as Jason Donovan might say; the show will almost certainly still be around when today’s early teenagers are adults.

More info and tickets here