Review: THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW at Crown Theatre

In 1973 in a small theatre in London, a cultural phenomenon was born. Now celebrating its 50th anniversary (and with no sign of slowing down), THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW returns to Crown Perth to get you dancing, singing, and laughing.

An absolute treat in the main role of Dr Frank N Furter is West End superstar and multiple award winner David Bedella. Bedella approaches the role with all the confidence and swagger needed and, what’s more, sings and acts it perfectly. Being such a well known role, he could be forgiven for trying to imitate those that have gone before him, but instead Bedella makes Frank N Furter his own and absolutely excels. As Janet is WAAPA graduate Deirdre Khoo. Khoo is simply wonderful in the role, with outstanding timing and brilliant stage presence. She seems to be getting bigger roles as her career progresses and, given the quality she shows here, it will be no surprise to see her in more big roles in the future. Opposite her as Brad is Ethan Jones, another superb choice for the role. Jones has all the traits associated with the character whilst adding his own distinctive flair to the character.

As Magenta (and the Usherette for the opening number) is Stellar Perry. Beginning her career as a singer allows Perry to smash her songs out of the theatre, not content to lean on Magenta’s stylings from the original. Her vocals fit the role perfectly and her overall performance is a standout. As Riff Raff is Henry Rollo, and his stage presence is simply magnificent. His singing and exquisite timing make the character every bit as entertaining as it ought to be. Darcey Eagle plays Columbia in an eye catching performance as the live-in maid, whilst Ellis Dolan is sublime as Eddie and Dr Scott, adding plenty of the humour that the show is known for. Loredo Malcolm (quite literally) breaks the mould of the title character Rocky, and whilst he definitely fits the role aesthetically, Malcolm is a true character and perfect for the role. As The Narrator is legend of stage and screen Nicholas Hammond. It is an absolute treat to see Hammond at his best, at times being a narrator in the classic style, but seamlessly fitting in as he is brought into the show more and more. The ensemble phantoms hit the notes in exactly the style they were written and round out the cast perfectly.

The somewhat basic props are a staple of THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, but the staging for this run is simply spectacular, and a sight to behold in itself. What I appreciated most about the show, however, was that the creatives all treated it like any other show. Rocky Horror is familiar to many, and people have fond memories of seeing it for the first time. It would have been easy for the team behind the 50th Anniversary run to simply aim to repeat what had come before, or re-enact the stylings and executions of the movie, and it would still be plenty entertaining. The cast and crew elected instead to add their own flair to it, and each character reflects the personality of the cast as much as the characters. The creativity and flair added to the show is what makes it a fitting 50th anniversary run, and means that this show is a must see regardless of how much you know (or think you know) about it.

This is a must-see production of a must-see musical. Dance, don’t walk, to get tickets.

THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW is at Crown Thatre Perth until August 26th. Tickets and more information from Rocky Horror Australia

Photos thsanks to Rocky Horror Australia/Daniel Boud

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