REVIEW: The Rocky Horror Show, Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre

Men in fishnets and short white lab coats, girls in green and pink wigs dressed as French maids, school prefects and sexy nurses... and that was just the audience!

The Rocky Horror Show – created by Richard O’Brien in 1973 – has been entertaining the world for over 40 years with its themes of transvestism, transsexualism, horror, adventure and fun, all set to simple 1950s-style pop songs.

This pacy musical has become infamous for its interactive audience participation, and the show’s Narrator – played by Norman Pace, unfortunately eschewing an American accent – attempts to control the unscripted interruptions by contemporary asides about Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, and Brexit.

The flimsy and unoriginal story features Brad and Janet, a young American couple whose car breaks down on a stormy wet night. They seek help from Dr Frank N Furter who, in his castle has created a human man... (nods to Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.)

The onstage live band is terrific, the songs hooky, many of the vocals outstanding with a Freddie Mercury-esque dramatic quality.

The big ballads – Don’t Dream It, Be It and the emotional I’m Going Home are wonderfully atmospheric, and the symmetrical bookend Science Fiction Double Feature neatly nails the show’s B-movie connections.

The ecstatically received finale features Sweet Transvestite and the cult classic Let’s Do The Time Warp Again.

There’s an endearingly powerful gentleness about this show (and its audience).

Runs until Saturday.

Brendan McCusker