Theater Review: The upbeat and anarchic Rocky Horror Show has fans roaming the time warp once again

Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show comes to Dublin for another great show. First performed at the Royal Court Theater in London in 1973, this extravaganza of hedonism was a major counterculture event in its day. In conservative Ireland we licked it; The film version was played every Friday night at Harold’s Cross for over two decades from the 1970s through the late 1990s. Some of that crowd, in glittery hats and now with walking sticks, were in the Bord Gáis Energy Theater auditorium on Monday. But there was also a new generation of young Goths; a very diverse audience.

he story is: super-hetero engaged couple Brad (Richard Meek) and Janet (Haley Flaherty) have a flat tire on a lonely road, wandering in the rain until they find a lock where they ask to use the phone allowed to. The owner of the castle, the scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Stephen Webb), creates a perfect example of a man, Rocky (a muscular Ben Westhead), by slaughtering delivery boys. Frank wears provocative women’s clothing and is constantly distracted by lusty bisexual endeavors. He takes turns seducing both Janet and Brad in a hilarious bed swapping scene.