Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show @ The Lyric

Photo: Brian Geach
Featured pic- Craig McLachlan as Frank N Furter with Amy Lehpamer and Stephen Mahy as Brad and Janet. Production pics by Brian Geach

My favourite saying to calm things down at work is ‘It will be OK. It’s an Art not a Science’. But deep down I don’t really believe that. As theatre makers we might not be ‘makin a man with blonde hair and a tan’ but we do scientifically research, develop, test, monitor, feedback then hypothesise. And what grander scale could you have than the 40 year social experiment of the ROCKY HORROR SHOW?

So to further the experiment, I took a much younger friend with me to see the show. She had heard of it, knew The Time Warp of course, knew it was a phenomenon and knew that I was really excited to see it again. Anyone who has completed science class past primary school knows that experiments seldom completely succeed or fail, that there is a spectrum of achievement and this ROCKY HORROR SHOW tilts the balance almost completely towards success. The beast is loose in the grounds of the Lyric Theatre.

Originally just an out-of-work actor’s way of keeping busy on cold London nights, the play was written by Richard O’Brien under the influence of a New Zealand boyhood of B grade science fiction and horror double bills at the local cinema. When he teamed up with Jim Sharman to stage it at the famously experimental 60 seat upstairs theatre at the Royal Court in 1973 a social study was born. The original show ran for seven years in various venues and had names like Nell Schofield, Julie Covington and the Frank N Furter template, Tim Curry, in the cast.

In 1974, the creaky old New Arts Cinema (probably best known to us as the Valhalla) in Glebe became the test tube for Reg Livermore to get his grotesque on and when the film was released in 1975, an international new audience of lab rats was created. Just as Fox studios is making the ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW as a two hour TV show to honour the 40th anniversary of the movie, this revival was incubated in honour of the anniversary of original show. Richard O’Brien even recreated his role of Riff Raff during the Adelaide run leading up to the Sydney opening.

But this is all just data input. What’s so good about what pops out at the other end? Two words. Craig McLachlan. He owns it. In an interview McLachlan revealed that Richard O’Brien told him that when the role is in you, it’s there for good. 23 years ago when he first interpreted Frank, his jump to the left might have been a bit more parabolic but he still does a great pelvic thrust. In heels, backward even!

McLachlan is a big artist with a big presence. and he delivers a great portrayal. Here is the crazed manic that we have all dated and thought we loved. He’s funny and cute. He’s sexy and berserk. He can camp it up or butch out the catcallers. In this new incarnation there are homages from the vault of Tim and Reg but this Frank N Furter stands erect (cough cough) and alone. But it’s not just his accomplished singing and dancing and quick wit that makes him the main ingredient in the success of this show.

McLachlan is a  wonderful actor, singer, dancer but what makes his Frank N Furter so accessible is an interpretation which displays a clear understanding of the profundity and pathos of being an exile in a foreign land. He embodies the little boy lost who is putting up a brave front. Weird and a bit scary but lost. Rocky Horror audiences generally don’t care about this but acting with depth and aforethought is part of the chemistry that makes a star. And he is the star of this show, no other hypothesis allowed. Plus, he has a great line in audience comebacks.

The Lyric theatre website will give you a Virgin’s Guide to the show but to really know how to behave when you are invited up to the lab to see what’s on the slab, go to the internet for the definitive list of call backs. As this petri dish has heated up over the years, audience engagement has become a fun part of it but experience combined with genuine affection allows McLachlan to use those moments without letting the show get out of control.

My friend googled the context at interval because she was a bit confused. She was so entranced by him that she had misplaced the story. It’s possible that Brendan Irving’s performance as a spectacularly well-constructed Rocky might have added to this confusion. Plus the science fiction and other movie references were not part of what she brought with her to the performance.

As any geek will tell you, different expectations provide for different outcomes. I went to the show knowing every word and having seen it live lots of times, even having been on the vague peripheries of various productions. (For context, I used to date Little Nell’s ex-boyfriend … so he said!). I knew what I wanted from the show. My friend just wanted to be entertained. We both ended up getting most of what we wanted.

Cast members Angelique Cassimatis (Columbia), Jade Westaby (Magenta), Kristian Lavercombe (Riff Raff) were able in support but we disagreed on who shone and who lacked lustre. We concurred in finding Amy Lehpamer as Janet and Stephen Mahy as Brad a lovely couple and that they came into their own in Act 2 which can sometimes be a bit slow as written. Mahy’s solo ‘Once is a While’ was touching and beautiful whilst still having that ‘Brad-manly’ feel.

One of the songs my friend did know was What Ever Happened to Saturday Night? and Nicolas Christo was a wonderful Eddie, charismatic and dynamic. He was also good as the scientist mentor, Dr Scott. In my head, the Narrator is a mentor too. Portentous and condescending, guiding the audience though the crazy, outrageous, risqué going ons with a firm hand. Bert Newton as the Narrator was more conversational and less animated than might be expected but he does still have a great pair of legs in suspenders and stockings!

When the whole cast appears for the kickline towards the finale there are some very sexy nether regions to put the costume design on display. Rocky’s tight red sequined costume was a highlight naturally but my appreciation for the architecture of Columbia’s bodice knows no bounds. Kate Fitzpatrick spectacularly fell out of her Magenta costume in the original production.

The set is a utilitarian touring setup but the flashy and fluid lighting design creates the movement and colour. As did the costumes and wigs of some of the audience. Lots of French maid’s outfits and top hats. There was also plenty of spark coming from the patrons standing to do the Time Warp in their seats during the encore.

Forty years on the veneration of the ROCKY HORROR SHOW is palpable and the experiment continues at the Lyric Theatre until June 7th. Grab a white coat and clipboard and observe it while you can!

For more about Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show, visit http://sydneylyric.com.au/index.php/whats-on/current-show/rocky-horror