Let's do the Time Warp again as Rocky Horror Show heads to city

Dust off your suspenders, Rocky Horror Show is shimmying its way back to Sunderland - and one of the stars says we can brace ourselves for one big party.

- by Katy Wheeler

Stephen Webb as Frank N Furter in the Rocky Horror Show. Photo by David Freeman

(David Freeman)

We caught up with Stephen Webb, who plays Frank N Furter in the madcap musical, which returns to the Sunderland Empire stage next week, from Monday, January 19, to Saturday, January 24.

Q: What was your first reaction when you found out you would be playing Frank in The Rocky Horror Show?

"Well, I couldn't believe it first of all. When I originally wanted to audition for Rocky, I thought I'd be up for Brad and then they said, 'No, we want to see you for Frank.' When I got it, I was ecstatic, I couldn't believe that I got this role.

"But the next moment, I was anxious because it's such an iconic role, I just want to live up to the legacy."

Frank is such an iconic character, how do you bring your own twist to the role while honouring the legacy of past performances?

"Christopher Luscombe, the director, said, 'We don't want you to do an impersonation of Tim Curry, we want to see your version', which actually settled me. I portray Frank using an American accent instead of an English accent.

"Obviously, Frank's costume is quite feminine, so I do inject an element of masculinity into my performance - my take on it is a little bit rough around the edges.