AFTER a long wait, Frank-N-Furter arrived back in Manchester.
If you’re a stranger to Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show, the best way to describe it is to imagine you were the only sober person in the Birdcage nightclub, surrounded by weird and wonderful, yet very provocative people.
The fun starts before the doors even open. Before entering the Opera House, you start to get the feeling you’ve been transcended into another planet, feeling like you truly are in Transsexual, in the of galaxy of Transylvania.
Fans flock down Quay street, dressed from full-on suspender belts and corsets to time warp suits with black bow ties.
If you’re a first-timer, you’ll realise just how loyal and almost cult-like these fans are within the first five minutes.
Parts of the audience heckle jokes in perfect unison, some even join the narrator shouting his lines word for word. It’s no wonder it’s been running for 43 years with fans as dedicated as they are.
A big part in making The Rocky Horror what it is today is the long running line of dark and dirty comedy throughout the performance. This show was made to push boundaries and be wacky and weird in every kind of way, along with showing support to all the LGBT communities.
“There’s only one thing you should do in your life and that’s realise your dreams”
Liam Tamne was cast as the benevolent role of Frank-N-Furter, and he didn’t disappoint. Being in the shadow of the original Frank, Tim Curry, is a hard thing in itself to live up to but Tamne rose to the occasion and danced circles around it, in his sparkling peep-toe platforms.
The Rocky Horror show at the Opera House was something else! If you're in Manchester and have the money then waste no time….
— Ava Mac (@avamaccc) October 27, 2016
Kristian Lavercombe took the character of eerie, hunch back servant, Riff Raff. Shuffling and jumping round the stage, Lavercombe did exceptionally well to re-enact Richard O’Brien’s first version. This is most probably why he has been performed in The Rocky Horror Picture Show over a thousand times.
Even Charlie Condou, Manchester’s own narrator did well to remember his lines and joke along with the crowd, even wittily replying to hecklers remarks.
In fact, all roles were played well, and the costumes are outstanding and yet still show the original essence of the show.
Rocky Horror wasn’t invented for the intellectuals, but rather for the outcasts and people that loved to love. Obviously it would have been a lot more powerful and shocking to watch back in 1973, but we still fall in love with each character (except for Janet) and the show will be forever timeless.
Everyone should see it at least once in their life time. It’s an experience you just can’t describe, and even if it’s not for you, you will still come out of that theater with a bemused smile on your face.
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