A bonkers night of music and fun

REVIEW: ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ at New Theatre, Cardiff

The Rocky Horror Show is back in New Theatre for another bonkers week, and we were lucky enough to get tickets to opening night!

I’m sure you’ve heard of The Rocky Horror Show, however before I saw the show, I wasn’t aware of the plot. So, to summarise, it follows Brad (played by James Bisp) and his fiancée Janet (Haley Flaherty ) out on a stormy night to visit an old college professor. The pair unfortunately get a flat tyre.

They search for help and find a nearby castle, so head to the door to ask the kind stranger for a phone. However upon entry to the castle, they encounter everything but a phone. From that point on, their night gets weirder as it goes on, and proves to be one they will never forget.

Starring in the madness is Stephen Webb, playing the legendary Dr Frank N Furter, Laura Bird as Magenta/Usherette, Edward Bullingham as Eddie/Dr Scott, Ryan Carton Wilson as Riff Raff, Morgan Jackson as Rocky, Daisy Steere as Columbia, and narrating the show was Jackie Clune.

In last night's (Monday) opening night, Rocky was actually played by Jesse Chidera, who did brilliantly at playing Frank N Furter’s creation. The whole cast were fantastic, looking like they were really enjoying the chaos of the show.

The most famous song is obviously Time Warp, which everyone knows and loves. The dancing to that as per is brilliant. But the other songs in the show were done amazingly, and were so full of life as well. Special shout-out has to go to the band who were astounding, playing every song loudly, filling the theatre with drum and bass.

Another star of the show is the audience, all joining in by dressing up, and heckling throughout the show - most of which was not PG, but provided a lot of laughs to everyone.

Audience involvement is really a huge part of the show, and greatly encouraged and welcomed by the cast. The Narrator, Jackie, did exceptionally well with the heckles, replying to a lot with her quick wit.

The creative team did a perfect job of creating the sets and costumes, making everything fun, free, and sexy! The use of the lights in particular is something I enjoyed, and it’s rare to see them utilised so much, but I found them really effective.

The Rocky Horror Show is a must see for all theatre fans. In a recent interview, Stephen Webb described The Rocky Horror Show as “a show that celebrates what it means to be different”, and that's exactly what it does.

The Rocky Horror Show is in the New Theatre until Saturday 6th June. Tickets are available by ringing 0343 310 0041 or by clicking here.

Review by Sophie Platt

Photos by David Freeman

We received free tickets for this performance in exchange for an honest review