…..SoSuterBill…..

Stage: The Rocky Horror Show – Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, Durban, until October 12
……REVIEW BY BILLY SUTER……

NOT in many a year has Durban’s theatre fraternity experienced as much excitement at an opening night as it did at last night’s performance of KickstArt’s The Rocky Horror Show. Before curtain-up, there was an infectious, loud buzz during the great antici…pation of a show that one of the country’s most treasured theatre companies has long wanted to mount.

Many in the Sneddon Theatre’s full house arrived in fishnets, boas, corsets and other gaudy paraphernalia to shimmer with sass and sequins; and many were unable to resist posing for selfies in the foyer’s heart-shaped love seat on a raised platform, above which were gold balloons spelling the word “ROCKY”.

Then there was the ecstatic standing ovation this production received during the final bows last night, which went on longer than I can remember for any opening night of a KickstArt musical.

It really goes without saying, you have guessed, that this is another feather – nay, a pink, glitter-strewn ostrich plume! – in the heavily festooned cap of this powerhouse theatre company.

Hearty back-slaps for director Steven Stead – here at his most mischievous and naughtily tongue-in-cheek– and set designer Greg King, whose glorious, detailed set paints this naughty-but-nice show with new-Goth gloss.

Stead, King and their talented, versatile cast and crew – special mention must go to the excellent lighting design by Farley Whitfield – have injected fresh oomph into a 52-year-old musical noted, as Stead says in programme notes, for its tacky, tawdry charm…and which gleefully thumbs its nose at convention and invites us to give ourselves over to absolute pleasure.

The Rocky Horror Show had humble beginnings, creator Richard O’Brien having written it in the early 1970s as a way to pass gloomy winter evenings. It had its debut in London in 1973 and became a still-cult film in 1975. Audacious in its focus on fluid sexuality in a far more conservative era, and still able to raise an eyebrow here and there, it has since gone on to be staged in 20 different languages and seen by more than 30 million people.

A wild and untamed thing, this new production relishes celebrating the merry mix of nerds, transvestites, man-made humans, gun-toting aliens, dotty scientists and over-the-top sideline oddballs, as it nods to B-movie schlock-horror, rock ’n’ roll and science-fiction.

It’s a campy, quirky show laden with send-up, sauciness and songs most people know and love. The KickstArt team, at its most colourful and risque, has a ball chronicling the writhing tale of conservative couple, Brad and Janet, experiencing tons of new experiences when, one stormy night, the newly-engaged duo seeks help from people “over at the Frankenstein place” – a dark castle near a gnarly wood.

KickstArt stalwart Bryan Hiles is perfect as nerdy Brad and young Keryn Lynne Scott is a delightful Janet. The two last appeared as a couple in KickstArt’s superb South African premiere production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company, when Hiles played the lead, bachelor Bobby, and Keryn played his ditzy, air hostess girlfriend.

All roles in The Rocky Horror Show have been well cast, but special mention must go to a luminous Kaylee McIlroy as tap-dancing Columbia; William Young as a sweet, buff, blond and bronzed Rocky; and Michael Gritten as a no-nonsense narrator.

Also here are an unrecogniseable Lyle Buxton as Eddie/Dr Scott, Belinda Henwood as Usherette/Magenta and Schoeman Smit as Riff Raff (perhaps a little underused?). Blessing Xaba, Roshanda Lewis, Amahle Tembe and Carl Oosthuizen portray the milkshake-and-sundae-loving phantoms.

But best for last. The undisputed star of this show is Tshepo Ncokoane, who has been seen in the hit shows Kinky Boots and Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and sure knows his way around slipping shapely legs into a pair of stilletos. He often channels Grace Jones as out-of-this-world, sweet transvestite and sex-mad scientist, Frank N Furter, the manipulative master of the house.

Not only is Ncokoane a knockout in fishnets – couturier Terrence Bray designed all the costumes, beautifully created by Durban costumiere Shanthi Naidoo – but he also serves a good mix of sashay and swagger, and is in wonderful voice throughout. His delivery of the second-half’s poignant I’m Going Home is a showstopper which, on opening night, drew long, loud applause and even moved some to a standing ovation.

The musical has fun choreography by Simone Mann and sound design by Brandon Bunyan. Music is performed live by a four-member band comprising musical director and keyboard-player Evan Roberts, Colin Peddie on guitar, Paul Cassells on drums and Lwazi Bhanda on bass. Look out for them above the organ pipes on stage.

Do yourself a big favour and round up a group of pals to do the Rocky Horror time warp again. The show is truly ab fab, one of the best productions of this musical I have seen (and I have seen many).  Note, though, that there is a no-under-14 age restriction.

Performances are at 7.30pm Tuesday to Saturday, 2.30pm Saturday, and 6pm Sunday. Book via Webtickets.