Rocky Horror show at Palace Theatre 2022

This particular reviewer must have been caught in a time warp as I've never seen any version of the Rocky Horror Show. Written by Richard O'Brien in the 1970s it has gone on to be a global phenomenon touring for over 45 years. This week the show returns to Manchester for a week of camp, laughs, madness and of course audience participation.

The story follows Brad and Janet, two recently engaged young people who mysteriously break down near a creepy mansion on a cold and wet night. They seek sanctury inside the home of Dr Frank'n'Furter where their sweet innocent lives will be changed forever! 

The actors and actresses do a great job bringing to life the larger than life characters. The narrator as played by Philip Franks is a standout for me with delightful comic timing and delivery. His opening monologue is full of witty and very current jokes and observations which make the audience laugh and feel comfortable from the off. Stephen Webb, Ore Oduba and Haley Flaherty all do wonderful jobs as the three main leads and Ben Westhead makes for a very hot Rocky (thank you theatre). 

That said, the rest of the cast all get an opportunity to shine and show their acting chops. This is a finely tuned performance with a cast passionate about their roles. THe costume design is everything you'd expect and it is one helluva sexy time. 

In a first for me, the audience shout out to the cast (particularly the narrator) and it cools across as rude for uninitiated but this is Rocky Horror and this has been a mainstay of the show for decades! Trust me when I say, you’ll get into it!  

You obviously can't talk about Rocky Horror without mentioning the songs. Even me as someone who has never seen it is familiar with Time Warp and Sweet Transvestite. The Time Warp is the biggest number here and the one that absolutely deserves audience participation. Thankfully, the audience were on their feet.and got into it. 

This is super fun and if you get the chance to see it there are still tickets available. It's absolutely crackers in the best possible way. It's vibrant, it's sexy, it's energetic and you will leave smiling. In these troubled times you need the theatre to truly entertain you and Rocky Horror does exactly that. Please go and enjoy!   

Tickets available here: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-rocky-horror-show/palace-theatre-manchester/

Published: 18-Jan-2022 (6498)