Review: The Rocky Horror Show at Sunderland Empire

“…a triumph… hold on to your big, sparkly top hats….”

The Rocky Horror Show by Richard O’Brien, Sunderland Empire

By Kay Wilson

I had one of my most surreal experiences in Sunderland city centre seven years ago due to The Rocky Horror Show. People wearing stockings and suspenders and white lab coats were pouring out of a local hotel early one Saturday afternoon. It turned out they were off for the matinee performance for this show at the Sunderland Empire. The show’s fun started again before I’d got to my seat, with some audience members obviously relishing getting dressed up as the characters. For those people who wanted to join in with some cosplay, without the need for stockings, there was a very helpful merch stand selling glittery top hats.

I saw the original Rocky Horror Show film when it came out in the 1970s and found it brilliant, brash and shocking. This performance still delivered those punches even though we now live in a different, more relaxed climate for provocative theatre. Richard O’Brien, who created the show, was inspired by 1950s sci-fi B movies. This sets the tone straight away with the opening sequence in front of a cinema curtain and an usherette (Laura Bird) singing Science Fiction/Double Feature. She had a great voice and got the performance off to a flying start.

The show’s simple premise is that a hapless couple’s car breaks down at night and they are forced to seek refuge in Frank-N-Furter’s gothic castle.

There was clever use of static props such as a cut-out car when we meet Brad and Janet, very well played by James Bisp and Haley Flaherty, as they discover they’ve broken down.  I particularly enjoyed Bisp’s vocal performance.

When they arrive at Dr Frank’s castle there is a fantastic ensemble piece as the mayhem begins and the couple are caught up in this new, sexual world. Stephen Webb as the lascivious transsexual himself holds centre stage with all the right charisma and vocal skills. One of the show’s most famous songs, Let’s Do The Time Warp Again was full of energy and had the audience singing along at full throttle… excuse the pun.

The different scenes are held together by the Narrator. This role, brilliantly performed by Jackie Clune, has grown since the show’s inception as the audience are part of the show, whether the show likes it or not!  She handled the banter with consummate skill even including local references. I wasn’t surprised to read that she also works as a stand-up comedian as it is no mean feat to handle people shouting responses out to various lines, acknowledge them with spontaneous wit, then tie it back to the actual script. The results were hilarious.

The seduction scenes where Brad and Janet are tricked into going to bed with Dr Frank worked well and were very funny. It was a clever set device to make the bed vertical so the audience could really imagine what was going on.

All the ensemble were at the top of their game and looked like they relished their roles. The singing and dancing were full of energy and fun, which was very contagious. The music bounced along and the audience all seemed to be having as good a time as the cast. Full credit to the band who really added to the great atmosphere.

For the final curtain call the whole theatre was on its feet dancing to the time warp and giving the cast a well-deserved standing ovation. This show was a triumph and the perfect antidote for a pretty damp and miserable Tuesday night. The roof nearly did come off last night, so at the weekend, with the big party crowds in, you really will have to hold on to your big, sparkly top hats.

The Rocky Horror Show plays at Sunderland Empire until Saturday 24 January. Tickets are available here.

Kay Wilson is a North East-based writer. She won Runner-Up in the Self-Published category at the Comedy Women in Print awards for her debut novel, The Stand-Up Mam. It was inspired by her own experience of performing comedy for two years and charts the adventures of a perfect mother who does stand-up. It transforms her but blows up family life. Described as ‘hilarious and heart-warming’, signed copies can be bought at The Bound bookshop, Whitley Bay. The novel is also available on Amazon here. Kay has a website which promotes extraordinary women and gives updates on her writing life.