The cult classic musical The Rocky Horror Show is set to return to New Zealand for the first time in 15 years, with the UK West End production touring, Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch next March.
Written by New Zealand-born Richard O’Brien, the musical has captivated audiences for more than 50 years with its unique blend of camp, horror, and sci-fi.
O’Brien, who wrote the show in Hamilton as a teenager, told 1News it was a “rock and roll fairytale” and a “reworking of Hansel and Gretel”.
“Rocky has an important place in entertaining us and keeping us together, in a way, which was never intended.”
The return of the musical, which remains the longest running of its kind in the world, has fans buzzing, including longtime devotee Sunita Torrance.
“I probably have maybe a couple hundred pieces of memorabilia,” she said.
Torrance started New Zealand’s only Rocky Horror Show shadowcast group, where live performances accompany screenings of the film.
Actors perform alongside the movie, mimicking the actions of the characters on screen and interacting with the audience.
“It’s like the characters are coming out of the screen, on to the stage and into the audience,” she said.
Narrator Kristian Lavercombe, who has performed as Riff Raff in the show more than 2700 times, said the audience energy was unmatched.
“Rocky Horror audiences are unlike any other. People get dressed up, often as the characters. It was at the forefront of cosplay before there was even a word for it.”
New Zealand has embraced its connection to the show, with a statue of Richard O’Brien as Riff Raff standing proudly in Hamilton — the city where he first dreamed up the concept while working as a barber near the old Embassy Theatre.
“I was a teenager. I was a bodgy boy. My love was rock and roll and B-movies and popular themes,” O’Brien said.
Lavercombe added: “In many ways, New Zealand is Rocky’s spiritual home.”
Tickets go on sale for the shows on Tuesday.
