It was a bitterly cold night in Edinburgh, which in many ways suited the B-movie horror and science-fiction mood. Fans soon filled the venue with glee, paying homage to its characters. One was dressed as Riff Raff, others as Frank N Furter, replicating his fishnets, corsets and glam-rock make-up.
The role was made famous by Tim Curry in the 1975 film, but tonight it belonged to Jason Donovan, who completely inhabits the mad scientist, alien, transvestite, rock ’n’ roll singer. Donovan has no trouble cranking up the camp. He has spoken recently about stepping into the high heels and becoming the character, and that sense of transformation is evident here. He plays Frank as a rock star, committing fully to the role with swagger and an abundance of confidence.
Jackie Clune, as The Narrator, has a strong rapport with the Edinburgh audience. Having cut her teeth in the city with a Karen Carpenter tribute act, she understands the rhythm of this crowd well. Audience participation is part of Rocky Horror culture, and the whip-smart Clune, who starred as Mrs Lamb in the BBC’s Motherland, has no shortage of one-liners.
During “Time Warp” and “Sweet Transvestite” it feels less like a theatrical production and more like a glam-rock concert from the early 1970s. Audience members of various generations, dressed in an array of costumes, are on their feet and dancing along. Punks, goths, rockers and other self-declared misfits draw energy from the production, amplifying its importance in their lives. In many ways, it resembles a gathering of like-minded, anti-establishment spirits.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show still summons the outrageous and intellectual side of the glam rock era, calling to mind Roxy Music and Bowie, contemporaries of writer Richard O’Brien, who also played Riff Raff in the 1975 film. Donovan’s performance of “I’m Going Home” is delivered like a Bowie-era Ziggy Stardust torch song. It is a rare, sad and melancholic moment that silences even the most vocal audience.
This is a production that feels both nostalgic and of the moment, perhaps because what was once a subculture is no longer marginal but part of everyday life.
Reviewed by Richard Purden.
Four Stars.
Theatre, Art and Film Reviews 
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