Review by CJ

Starring:
Todd McKenney, Shane Jacobson, Rob Mallett, Michelle Smitheram, Kristian Lavercombe, Amanda Harrison, Brendan Irving, Nadia Komazec, James Bryers

Venue:
Her Majesty’s Theatre (Melbourne, Australia)

Running time:
120 minutes (including intermission)

Brad Majors (Mallett) and his fiancée Janet Weiss (Smitheram) are a young couple headed to visit the teacher in whose class they first met. The couple get caught with a flat and happen upon the castle of Dr Frank-N-Furter (McKenney), his servants and the phantoms.

Todd McKenney’s performance is nothing short of spectacular. From high-kicks to improvisation to belting out old favourites like nobody’s business, McKenney nails everything that makes Frank-N-Furter such a sweet transvestite.

Returning from when I last saw the show were Kristian Lavercombe as Riff Raff and Brendan Irving as Rocky. Lavercombe gave one of my favourite performances last time and has only improved since then. Irving manages to portray the heart and soul of Rocky with a distinctly Australian twist. 

Shane Jacobson delivers a delightful performance with poise, grace and hilarious improv that includes answering the interactive audience and chastising those who misbehave.

Overall, the cast was small but brilliant. Everyone shone in their roles without stepping into each other’s spotlights. It was a masterful collaboration to behold.

The outfits in Rocky Horror Show are some of the most iconic in stage and film history, and the costume department on this run has honoured that fact well. The iconic costumes simply dazzled.

I left Rocky Horror feeling thoroughly entertained after nearly two hours of magnificent performances, stellar songs, hypnotising choreography and a cast that exceeded my wildest expectations. This regular Frankie fan gives it two thumbs way up. 

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