The internationally acclaimed cult classic, The Rocky Horror Show, exploded onto the stage of the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in all of its transvestite glory, just as the Halloween season creeps upon us. The Ambassador Theatre Group’s production, which boasts the musical smash hit “Time Warp”, in addition to “Dammit Janet”, “Sweet Transvestite” and “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me”, runs until Saturday, October 8th.
Ambassador Theatre Group’s take on Richard O’Brien’s musical stays very true to the original. The costumes – fish net stockings, high heels and chest-hugging corsets glittered with dazzling sequins – work in terrific harmony amidst the surrounding chaos. The infamous choreography to the toe-tapping “Time Warp” makes the audience itch to burst out of their seats. The lighting scheme, filled with rock concert-style spotlights and colours, pay homage to O’Brien and his cult phenomenon. However, two very important aspects of the show seem missing.
The Rocky Horror Show is notorious for its intimate feel and audience participation. The Bord Gáis is a mammoth theatre that seats 2,000 audience members. This gargantuan space seems to distance the audience and the actors on stage. That separation, in return, halts most of the deliriously camp participation which, for avid Rocky Horror-goers, is the fundamental feature of the show. A smaller, more affectionate space would have helped the audience feel like a part of the show and, by default, encourage the participation that the show desperately needs.
Even in the absence of intimacy, the actors were able to give a commendable performance. The cast is headed by the provocative Frank-N-Furter, played by the alluring Liam Tamne. Tamne, no stranger to stage or TV singing competitions, commands the show with his smooth yet sultry voice. His role as the master of Frankenstein Place oozes a sexuality that would make it believable to have a butch rugby player singing “touch-a touch-a touch-a touch me, I wanna be dirty. Thrill me, chill me, fulfill me, creature of the night”.
Supporting Tamne is the exuberant, muscular Dominic Anderson as Rocky. A sight for sore eyes, Anderson’s Rocky captures both Frank-N-Furter and the audience’s heart. Rounding out the cast are the stunning Kristian Lavercombe and Kay Murphy as Riff Raff and Magenta respectively. The brother and sister duo successfully bring down the house with “Time Warp” and, of course, get a rousing applause for their exotic “elbow sex”.
When all of the glitz and glam of The Rocky Horror Show is complete, the Ambassador Theatre Group’s production will certainly have you smiling and singing the mind-ringing showstoppers well into the evening. So go, go into transsexual Transylvania land and enjoy a pleasant outing and if you’re lucky, “some sweet transvestite” might just leave you inspired to get up out of your seat and “do the time warp again!”.
