If there was ever to be a case made for there being such a thing as a review-proof show, surely Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show would be it.

Recent cultural juggernauts, such as Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’ Six may nip at its (8 inch, blood red stilettoed) heels, but those queens have almost half a Century of catching up to crack on with before they’re challenging Rocky.

The cult classic rolls around on what has become practically its annual strut into Birmingham and the West Midlands, and the usual fan fervour and audience dress up and participation shows no sign of waning. And why would it? Crowds have been donning their suspenders, singing along and lovingly heckling all things Rocky since the seventies.

The current touring production is for all intents and purposes a re-wheeling of the same slick, technicolor iteration that has been doing the rounds for the past decade or so. Hugh Durrant’s inspired fusion of gothic-lite hunting lodge fused with lashings of fifties B-movie flavouring and sci-fi provide a playground for Sue Blane’s rhinestoned costumes and Nick Richings’ decadently unsubtle lighting to shine.

You’ve likely seen it all before, but that is no bad thing.

What Rocky 2025 does throw up, however, is a fairly significant overhaul of its central cast.

Veteran ‘Riff Raff’, Kristian Lavercombe, a fan favourite who has appeared in the show quite literally thousands of times, is nowhere to be seen (he’s busy riffing and raffing over in his native New Zealand…). With the exception of some of its ensemble, the company here are mostly brand-spanking new. Similarly, rifle through the show’s programme looking for the token C-lister or Strictly Come Dancing star of recent runs and you’ll be similarly ‘disappointed’ (?). Birmingham not being amongst the select venues on this run to play host to Jason Donovan’s Frank-n-Furter.

It proves to undoubtedly be this tour’s biggest coup; across the board, practically every role is portrayed by trained and experienced musical theatre talent.

Connor Carson and Lauren Chia are equally superb as the show’s ditzy, lovestruck protagonists. It’s often with Brad and Janet where the tempting tendrils of stunt casting creeps in, but no such worry here. Chia and Carson are each really fantastic, showcasing great vocals and a ton of character, serving up arguably the strongest pairing of its leads in over a decade of reviewing the show.

Morgan Jackson, similarly, stands comfortably amongst the best incarnations of the titular ‘Rocky’ creation to date. As well as comfortably passing the Charles Atlas’ approval in terms of a mighty impressive physique, he also showcases killer vocals during his ‘Sword of Damocles’ solo and his portion of ‘Rose Tint My World’. And if his Rocky belts and poses for the gods, Jayme-Lee Zanoncelli’s gloriously bonkers and hyper animated Columbia is another highlight.

“What a joy to sit down for what is now a double digit serving of Rocky Horror and be served with such a fresh, funny and unexpected surprise with one of its key characters.”

And stepping out from the looming shadow of the aforementioned Lavercombe is the quite wonderful Job Greuter as Riff Raff. He ticks all the requisite boxes of belting for the absolute heavens, but so too does Greuter find his own hobbling, nervy and idiosyncratic (and notably more sympathetic) take on the iconic role. What a joy to sit down for what is now a double digit serving of Rocky Horror and be served with such a fresh, funny and unexpected surprise with one of its key characters.

But they don’t come any more key than ‘sweet transvestite’ himself, Doctor Frank N Furter, and another talent to train and cut his teeth on musical theatre, Adam Strong, delivers some of the most stirring and powerful vocals seen in a ‘Frankie’ to date. Sure, he sinks into the vampy, sassy camp of the role with vigour and relish throughout as it to be expected, but it is moments such as a truly soulful coda to his ‘I’m Going Home’ where Strong’s roaring, powerhouse Frank N Furter truly etches out its individuality.

Moments of invention and surprise are littered elsewhere, too. Jackie Clune’s female narrator does a great job with the usual schtick of injecting plenty of topical meta humour throughout (and three guesses as to which divisive political figure and his bootlicking Tesla buddy bear the brunt of this). But it is when Clune goes off on distinctly female tangents to some of the show’s trademark heckling and audience participation that we get yet newer wrinkles and spins on formula.

“…the same colourful, postmodern melange of mayhem and naughtiness that audiences have flocked to in cinemas and theatres alike for over fifty years.”

In all though, whether playing it safe or flirting with surprise like this current production, it’s generally very difficult to go wrong with The Rocky Horror Show. It is the same colourful, postmodern melange of mayhem and naughtiness that audiences have flocked to in cinemas and theatres alike for over fifty years.

O’Brien’s now-iconic numbers are as irresistible and entertaining as ever, and few shows can boast a toe-tapping, off-your-seat doublet as infectious as ‘Time Warp’ and ‘Sweet Transvestite’.

Whether it is your first trip over to the Frankenstein place, or your feather boas and fishnets are already weathered from their service to the pelvic thrusting of it all, The Rocky Horror Show remains a firm audience favourite, and deservedly so. This latest tour peppers itself with some fresh twists, new faces and a handful of welcome surprises, but it’s still the same beloved time warp that you’ll be having a ball of a time doing all over again.

Altogether now; it’s just a jump to the left…