The Rocky Horror Show is a musical spectacle like no other. Whilst there is a certain etiquette expected of theatre-goers for most travelling productions, Rocky Horror throws this all out the window with audience participation as iconic as the show itself. Returning to Sydney after an initial successful season at the start of 2023 and a national tour, this production of Rocky Horror featured mostly returning cast members with a few new additions, most notably Dylan Alcott as the Narrator. After such a strong first season, this meant that there was a lot of pressure for the cast to live up to and they certainly delivered. 

This review has to start with a mention of the star of the show, who, for me, was Henry Rollo as Riff Raff. From the beginning of the show, he commanded focus with his extraordinary vocals and devilish portrayal of the iconic character. If there was ever a bona fide star to arrive on the Australian musical theatre stage, this was certainly the one. Rollo’s vocals immediately drew comparisons to Adam Lambert and his movement and characterisation were right there to match his vocals, especially during the “Time Warp”. It was a masterful performance from start to finish. 

Stellar Perry’s Usherette/Magenta was also brilliant, with her rendition of “Science Fiction” sublime. Her ability to move from the tenderness of the Usherette to the demonic Magenta in the space of mere minutes is incredibly impressive and was another highlight of the show. 

With Rollo and Perry stealing the start of the show performing two of the biggest hits of the night to rapturous applause, the bar was high for Jason Donovan as Frank N Furter. As he entered to screams from the crowd, he delivered the hilarious performance everyone expected of him, performing “Sweet Transvestite” with charisma and pizzazz. Donovan still has a presence on stage which is close to unmatched and performs to the audience in a way that only few can. 

While Perry, Rollo and Donovan were arguably the stars of the show, there truly were no weak links in this cast. Blake Bowden and Deirdre Khoo gave life to the roles of Brad and Janet (which really do not have that much room to shine) and truly added to the entertainment with exquisite vocals and an ironic earnestness that was only to easy for the audience to mock. 

Dylan Alcott was also a strong narrator, engaging well with the audience and not being afraid to make jokes at his own expense. While his delivery was a little hesitant at times, this is only something that will develop if Alcott continues in acting for a little longer. He had all the hallmarks of a great performer, from the timing to the presence and his dance at the end of the encore had the audience in raptures. 

This is a show where the audience had an absolute blast. Even in some of the drier parts of the show (such as the start of the second act), the performers had the audience guffawing in the stalls and responding to every quip. It is worth noting just how much fun everyone (both cast and audience) seemed to be having and this was reflected in the performance. This is the ultimate feel-good classic and beyond the absurd plot, this production actually has a great degree of substance with superb vocals, great acting and outstanding choreography. A combination of in-your-face humour and serious talent, this is musical theatre at its finest. 

Rating: ★★★★★

The Rocky Horror Show plays until 12^th May at the Theatre Royal. For more information, click here.

Photo credit: Wendell Teodoro