This latest run of The Rocky Horror Show at Richmond Theatre does not disappoint. It’s bold, it’s camp, it’s unapologetic. Exactly what you want from Rocky Horror.
It’s also properly funny, with some deep belly laughs that had the whole theatre shaking.
Adam Strong struts onto the stage as Frank’n’Furter with serious attitude. He is magnetic, commanding, and just the right side of intimidating.
Strong does not dominate the limelight, however and gives the rest of the cast room to shine, and they grab it with both hands.
Jackie Clune makes a sharp, dry-witted Narrator, slipping in local jokes that had the Richmond crowd howling.
Connor Carson and Lauren Chia are brilliantly cast as Brad and Janet, nailing the innocent-to-corrupted arc with real charm.
Job Greuter as Riff Raff is creepy and twitchy but oddly funny too, and the whole ensemble keeps the show fizzing with energy.
The set is fairly simple, with no huge flashy pieces or complicated mechanics, but it works. Scene changes are slick and fast, and the clever use of lighting fills the stage with colour and atmosphere where it is needed most.
David Freeman. (Image: David Freeman)
Props bring the weird world of Rocky Horror to life without slowing anything down and the costumes, of course, are outrageous, glittering and gloriously over the top.
Musically, it is just as strong. Every big number lands with force, from the swagger of “Sweet Transvestite” to the bouncing chaos of “Time Warp.” The vocals across the board are excellent.
The audience, as always with Rocky Horror, is part of the spectacle.
It is loud, rowdy and playful, but the production keeps a tight enough grip to stop it tipping into total anarchy.
It felt like everyone — cast and crowd — was in on the same joke.
It never felt forced. It felt like a genuine celebration of a show that means a lot to a lot of people.
Richmond Theatre, one of London’s oldest surviving playhouses, makes the perfect setting. It is a grand, beautiful building, but there is nothing stuffy about the way it runs.
Staff are friendly and happy to help, bar service is quick, the loos are clean, and the atmosphere is lively and whilst remaining polite from the minute you walk through the doors.
What stands out most about this production is how true it stays to the spirit of Rocky Horror.
It is camp, it is cheeky, it is gloriously queer, and it still feels like a real celebration of individuality and mischief. Even after all these years, it refuses to behave.
Whether you have seen it twenty times or you are turning up a Rocky Horror virgin, you will get swept up in it all the same. It is impossible not to.
The Rocky Horror Show runs at Richmond Theatre until Friday, May 3.
