In fishnets, pearls and killer heels, Jason Donovan shone as Frank’n’Furter in a vintage Rocky Horror Show performance at the Wycombe Swan Theatre on Tuesday night.

The Australian superstar led an energetic cast, directed by Christopher Luscombe, which revelled in the camp craziness of Richard O’Brien’s original 1973 script and score.

The legendary rock ‘n’ roll musical sees Brad and his fiancée Janet, two squeaky clean college kids, get wrapped up in the dark world of Dr Frank’n’Furter by chance when their car breaks down outside his house their way to visit their old professor Dr Scott.

Reprising a role he played back in 1998, Donovan holds the stage throughout as sex-mad ‘transvestite’ scientist Frank’n’Furter.

The singer and former Neighbours star clearly enjoyed strutting across the stage and rolling out a finely honed evil laugh in a performance that was visually more Heath Ledger’s Joker than Tim Curry.

Leaning into the madness of his character, he happily threw in ad-libs and toyed with the script to the delight of a Swan Theatre brimming with costumes and props.

Comedian Nathan Caton also added a touch of class to proceedings as the Narrator, welcoming classic Rocky Horror heckling and callbacks from the audience with his own razor-sharp responses.

The veteran stand-up, who has performed at Edinburgh Fringe and written for Rastamouse, gave as good as he got from an excitable crowd.

Jibes about Aylesbury, the Oasis reunion, the size of his package and even Tommy Robinson injected energy and plenty of laughter in between scenes.

A particular highlight was Caton’s response to one heckle: “I’m as sure as Jermaine Jenas’s wife on her wedding anniversary.”

Meanwhile, the West End experience of Connor Carson and Lauren Chia as Brad and Janet also shone through and added to the quality of the show.

The pair’s vocal performances were stellar in classic numbers like Dammit Janet, Rose Tint My World and Touch-A-Touch-A-Touch-A-Touch Me.

Rocky Horror’s much-loved score was expertly dispatched by a band led by Josh Sood that included Liam Spencer-Smith on guitar.

Actor Job Greuter was also superb, giving an exciting performance as hunchbacked servant Riff Raff, as did Natasha Hoeberigs as Magenta and the Usherette.

Completing the cast were Jayme-Lee Zanoncelli as Columbia, Morgan Jackson as Rocky and Edward Bullingham as Eddie and Dr Scott, while the phantoms were played by Ryan Carter-Wilson, Arthur Janes, Hollie Nelson and Erica Wild.

Whether you are new to Rocky Horror or a lifelong fan of the musical, the Wycombe Swan’s version will not disappoint.

Tickets for the Rocky Horror Show at the Wycombe Swan Theatre are available from the Trafalgar Tickets website here: https://trafalgartickets.com/wycombe-swan-theatre/en-GB/event/musical/the-rocky-horror-show-tickets

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