Review: ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at Civic Theatre, Auckland

Reviewed by Richard & Katie Pidgeon

On a sultry Auckland night (in more ways than one), an expectant crowd gathered, some in drag and raucous garb, others bustling from a long week of work. The majestic Civic Theatre beckoned with ample arms, its two tiered hall resplendent in historic finery. The scene was set for Richard O’Brien’s legendary show to explode on opening night – and, boy, did it deliver!

The scene moved from the kitsch opening with Brad and Janet to the sophisticated castle of Frank N Furter and his motley crew with slick production values and adroit machination. From the outset, the droll wit of the narrator (Kristian Lavercombe), not slow to indulge in repartee with the ebullient audience, shone as a guide through the weirdly wonderful antics of the evening.  The actors brought to life the characters which the audience had come to see, with confident panache. Frank N Furter (Stephen Webb) anchored the performance with a stellar blend of stage presence and sheer enjoyment of his role.  

Kudos goes to the live band (marshaled by musical director Adam Smith) who injected the heartbeat into this rock-n-roll musical. The arrangement was precise and had the crowd singing along at all the right times. All in all, the performance was effortless and extremely well rehearsed. It was a credit to director Christopher Luscombe and the ensemble cast.

From the lascivious Rif Raff (Ryan Carter-Wilson) to the greatly emotive tap-dancing Columbine (Daisy Steere), magnificent Magenta (Laura Bird), fully cut ingenue Rocky (Morgan Jackson)  and to the awakened Brad (James Bisp) and Janet (Haley Flaherty) each played their part in a thoroughly enjoyable night of risqué hedonism.

The costumes were a highlight, especially the sweet Transvestite from Transylvania and they were matched by some great efforts by theatregoers, bedecked with wigs and hats. The dance routines were a special treat with the troupe throwing themselves into the choreography with gay abandon.

For a great night out, take the Time Warp back to the seventies for what in reality is a timeless treasure, delivering to a raucous, expectant, ultimately foot stomping crowd. A crescendo was reached when on opening night the great Richard O’Brien took to the stage for a curtain call.  Don’t wait another 50 years to see this spectacular in its jubilee global year.

Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Picture Show is showing at the Civic Theatre till the 8th of March.