Theatre / Reviews
Review: Rocky Horror Show, Bristol Hippodrome – ‘Slick, high-energy, and packed with flamboyant joy’
The wide-open sky of Bristol’s theatre scene welcomes back a much-loved constellation this week as Christopher Luscombe brings his slick, high-energy production, The Rocky Horror Show, back to the Bristol Hippodrome for the first time since 2019.
Even 53 years after Richard O’Brien first unleashed this sci-fi double feature on the world, Rocky Horror hasn’t lost an ounce of its bite. If anything, this is a show that has aged like a fine, highly-flamboyant wine.
The big talking point of last night happened before the curtain even went up. Despite his face still dominating the promotional posters outside the theatre, Jason Donovan was nowhere to be seen.
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Instead, it was left to Stephen Webb to step into the fishnets of Dr. Frank’N’Furter, undoubtedly one of musical theatre’s most iconic roles.
And so to the action. While he lacks a little of the star-power gravity of Donovan, Webb brings a commendable, high-glam energy to his opening song, Sweet Transvestite, and keeps the packed house on side throughout.
As always with Rocky Horror, the real show often happens in the stalls. The audience of this global phenomenon can often be characterised for their sharp-tongued energy, and the Hippodrome crowd do not disappoint, throwing out the traditional, raucous callbacks with precision.
The Narrator handles the local heckles well, keeping his composure and letting the audience dictate the pacing of the night, while making sure that the rowdiness doesn’t threaten to derail the actual plot.
As a musical, this show flows as smoothly as the effortless sense of queer joy in the air. The seamless blend of songs, extravagant costuming and design, drag and theatre gets the audience energised and impassioned throughout its two hours.
The supporting cast keep things moving at a brisk pace. Haley Flaherty’s Janet provides a solid comedic transition from squeaky-clean innocent to wild participant, particularly during the Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me segment.
Alongside her, James Bisp is a suitably rigid Brad, while the vocal heavy lifting from the household crew helps to mask some of the production’s flatter comedic beats.
By the point The Time Warp rolls around, the entire three-tier auditorium is on its feet. It’s hard to deny the enduring power of this show’s soundtrack, which manages to get the whole building bouncing.
If you’re going for pristine theatricality, you might leave feeling a bit cheated by the marketing. But if you’re keen to spend an exuberant evening screaming obscenities with strangers in glitter, the Bristol Hippodrome is the place to be this week.
The Rocky Horror Show is at Bristol Hippodrome on July 13-18; times vary. Visit atgtickets.com for tickets.
All photos: David Freeman
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