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May. 23rd, 2010 12:08 pmWent to the Kings last night to meet up with some friends from sixth form days and see the Rocky Horror Show, as arranged on facebook months ago. I arrived outside the theatre just after 7pm, an hour ahead of show time; the pavement outside, and the tables in front of the surrounding pubs, were absolutely mobbed with people in Rocky Horror gear. I'd gone plainclothes, as I don't own a costume and didn't have the available funds to buy or hire one, and in any case I was travelling on my own (no-one else in our party lived in Gosport) - I could probably have faced going about on public transport Rocky Horrored up as part of a similarly attired group, but not alone.
I hung around outside the theatre for a whole hour. As the clock ticked round to 7.50 and I still hadn't seen hide nor hair of my old pals - bearing in mind that I hadn't seen them all for several years, so was basically looking for people who looked like their facebook photos - I began to wonder if they'd failed to spot me, though I couldn't imagine them just not recognising me, even if I did have a haircut a few days ago. Meanwhile, one young lady in full gear stopped by me to tell me I was underdressed and ask if I had my stockings and suspenders on underneath. Finally, at five to eight, as a tidal wave of punters in full attire piled through the doors, I caught sight of Phil shouting and waving to me from the back of the horde and made my way out. Fortunately a couple of the group knew of a side door just by where they were standing.
On our way in we passed a sign saying "Water pistols, rice, toast, Kit Kats etc. are not to be taken into the auditorium". "Spoilsports," said Jo.
It was my second time seeing the stage show, and my first had been back in 1992, so I didn't know the shout outs; nor did Phil and David (who, like me, were in civvies). Jo, Helen and Martin, all in full Rocky Horror rig-out, were clearly seasoned veterans as they knew all the shout-outs and movements such as waving hands along with the opening song and holding lighters up for a later number. The show was hysterically funny and very well performed. Maxwell Caulfield had exactly the right air of dignity and disdain in the face of audience ridicule as the Narrator. David Bedella was a hilariously evil Frank N. Furter, and Richard Meek and Hayley Flaherty were brilliant as Brad and Janet, but the star of the show for me was Kara Lane - she set my pulse racing as a very sexy Magenta, clad in an alluring black dress with a silver crucifix round her neck and a fearsome red hairdo. She also played the Usherette, bringing just the right innocence and poignancy to the opening/closing song.
There was plenty of audience improvisation on the shout-outs. One group in the second row (we were in the fourth) managed to do their ad libs in unison, like when Brad said "We need a break" they shouted "Have a Kit Kat." Several times we heard somebody do one on their own. Many of those were quite funny, like the narrator's "It's all over" being greeted with "Like your career". Several seemed to be invited by the script - "Janet is riding a great big" got "COCK!" from plenty of voices. When we all found each other outside after, though, Phil said this was the most reserved Rocky Horror audience he'd ever seen, usually they're much more raucous. Then we hugged or shook hands according to sex, said our goodbyes and agreed to have another reunion some time, and separated to make our way home. With Jo and Helen living and Chandlers Ford and the others in Portsmouth, I loped, alone, to the nearby taxi rank (making a mental note to move out of Gosport).
I hung around outside the theatre for a whole hour. As the clock ticked round to 7.50 and I still hadn't seen hide nor hair of my old pals - bearing in mind that I hadn't seen them all for several years, so was basically looking for people who looked like their facebook photos - I began to wonder if they'd failed to spot me, though I couldn't imagine them just not recognising me, even if I did have a haircut a few days ago. Meanwhile, one young lady in full gear stopped by me to tell me I was underdressed and ask if I had my stockings and suspenders on underneath. Finally, at five to eight, as a tidal wave of punters in full attire piled through the doors, I caught sight of Phil shouting and waving to me from the back of the horde and made my way out. Fortunately a couple of the group knew of a side door just by where they were standing.
On our way in we passed a sign saying "Water pistols, rice, toast, Kit Kats etc. are not to be taken into the auditorium". "Spoilsports," said Jo.
It was my second time seeing the stage show, and my first had been back in 1992, so I didn't know the shout outs; nor did Phil and David (who, like me, were in civvies). Jo, Helen and Martin, all in full Rocky Horror rig-out, were clearly seasoned veterans as they knew all the shout-outs and movements such as waving hands along with the opening song and holding lighters up for a later number. The show was hysterically funny and very well performed. Maxwell Caulfield had exactly the right air of dignity and disdain in the face of audience ridicule as the Narrator. David Bedella was a hilariously evil Frank N. Furter, and Richard Meek and Hayley Flaherty were brilliant as Brad and Janet, but the star of the show for me was Kara Lane - she set my pulse racing as a very sexy Magenta, clad in an alluring black dress with a silver crucifix round her neck and a fearsome red hairdo. She also played the Usherette, bringing just the right innocence and poignancy to the opening/closing song.
There was plenty of audience improvisation on the shout-outs. One group in the second row (we were in the fourth) managed to do their ad libs in unison, like when Brad said "We need a break" they shouted "Have a Kit Kat." Several times we heard somebody do one on their own. Many of those were quite funny, like the narrator's "It's all over" being greeted with "Like your career". Several seemed to be invited by the script - "Janet is riding a great big" got "COCK!" from plenty of voices. When we all found each other outside after, though, Phil said this was the most reserved Rocky Horror audience he'd ever seen, usually they're much more raucous. Then we hugged or shook hands according to sex, said our goodbyes and agreed to have another reunion some time, and separated to make our way home. With Jo and Helen living and Chandlers Ford and the others in Portsmouth, I loped, alone, to the nearby taxi rank (making a mental note to move out of Gosport).
