Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Civic Theatre in Auckland on Friday night.
Varsha Anjali reviews The Rocky Horror Show after watching it for the first time.
New Zealand’s grandmas and grandpas went off the rails during nearly two hours of fishnets and fabulousness at the opening of The Rocky Horror Show.
On Friday night, I arrived at The Civic in Auckland intentionally unprepared. It meant everything else arrived in new shapes.
Though I knew the stage musical, written by Richard O’Brien more than 50 years ago, was a classic, and had been meaning to watch it to at least understand cultural references, I still hadn’t seen it before now.
I saw sequined silver-haired kings and queens, and others in lace, spiked collars, stilletos, corsets, and bold makeup at the fully-packed theatre. A handful of young families and youngish singletons were there too. “Don’t I look fabulous?” I heard one person in a shiny topper ask their friends. They did. And then there was me: beige, basic and embarrassing.
This show, directed by Christopher Luscombe, started promptly at 7.30pm. No dillydallying here! We’ve got places to be afterwards, namely our beds.
Fifteen minutes in and I’m confused and my confusion had questions. Why does the Usherette (Laura Bird) sing for so long? Why are Brad Majors (James Bisp) and Janet Weiss (Hayley Flaherty) so cheesy? Was I, in fact, at a Bollywood show?
Answers were received. But the confusion remained.
“Arsehole!” and “Slut!” unanimously shouted the crowd after the narrator (Kristian Levercombe) introduced Brad and Janet. My ears! I thought this was a children’s show. Thankfully, as I learned, it’s really, definitely, not.
The energy popped when Mother arrived: Frank N Furter, a cross-dressing alien played by Stephen Webb. Webb’s cabaret swagger in heels made my hips cry. He was saucy. He was mischievous. He stole the show. And we swooned.
Whenever The Time Warp played, I saw 80-year-olds convulse. But it wasn’t a medical event. It was dancing. Everyone waved their jazz hands, put their hands on their hips and took a step to the left. A highlight every time.
The sex scenes were hilariously unexpected. It was dirty, funny, and maintained taste.
The production was spotless and fun. Music was played live on the upper stage. The singing from the whole West End cast was incredible. And while a fair amount of props were used, it never felt excessive or distracting.
A couple of local quips from the narrator won the audience.
“There are those who have a far more physical philosophy, those who would stop at nothing to satisfy their base desires,” he said. “Brian Tamaki.”
Later, he mocked one of the city’s weathiest suburbs.
“There are those that say that life is an illusion - and most of them live in Ponsonby - and reality as we know it is merely a figment of our imaginations.”
Sitting next to me was Grady Elliott, the operations manager of Family Bar on Karangahape Rd. Elliot was having a jolly good time.
“It’s a cult,” Elliott told me. He recalled going to see the movie at the Hollywood cinema in Avondale back in the day when they would play it every Friday and Saturday around midnight.
“People would dress up to the nines, shouting lines back and forth with the characters, singing along - they even would come with a pocket full of rice to throw at the wedding scene,” he said.
In the biggest surprise of the night, writer O’Brien, who lives in New Zealand, and Australian actor Nell Campbell, who originally played Columbia in the film, came onto the stage.
“I put the heels on tonight for the first time. I’m awfully afraid I might snap an ankle,” O’Brien told the crowd.
I wouldn’t recommend watching the production before watching the movie, as I did. But I can see why everyone keeps coming back.
None of it made sense. But, honey, it was fabulous anyway.
The Rocky Horror Show is on at The Civic in Auckland until March 8, at Isaac Theatre in Christchurch March 11-15, and at St James Theatre March 18-29. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster.
Varsha Anjali is a journalist in the lifestyle team at the Herald. Based in Auckland, she covers entertainment, travel and more.