As a theatre reviewer, I often get asked what my all-time favourite musical is and I have to be honest this is an extremely difficult question because there are so many fantastic pieces of theatre we have seen over the past six years. We have been lucky enough to see incredible spectacles, show-stooping vocal performances, powerful plays, and unique theatre experiences etc but one show that will forever hold a special place in my heart is the iconic Rocky Horror Picture Show. Having seen the live-streamed version at Cineworld (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2021/10/29/rocky-horror-cinema-screening-review/), multiple iterations of the live productions (the most recent of which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2022/02/13/rocky-horror-production-review/), and seeing the original movie countless times, it fair to say it is one of the musicals I could watch over and over again and never get bored. With all this in mind, I was super excited to discover that Cardiff’s newest LGBT venue Eclipse (who recently had their grand opening which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/09/15/eclipse-opening-night-experience-review/) was hosting a cabaret-inspired tribute night paying homage to this cult classic movie I knew I could not miss it!
Fans of the Rocky Horror Picture Show will be aware that this is one of the few shows that offers “shadow cast” where a group of performers perform the show live in front of a screening of the movie but Eclipse decided to set themselves apart by going down a much more cabaret style for their tribute. Instead of simply performing the show itself (due to legality and rights not being publicly available), Eclipse had created more of a tribute to the iconic characters from the original movie with each performer showcasing a selected character look and series of performances. What I thought was particularly clever about this show was the fact that it contained a cast of both drag king and drag queen performers which obviously captured the queer vibe of the original movie. The show opened with the current winner of Jolene’s drag race (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/08/13/jolenes-drag-race-week-three/) who helped to introduce the acts and keep the audience engaged throughout. It was very obvious that this performer was a massive fan of the Rocky Horror Picture Show as they cleverly tied the guest performers as their respective characters to the original movie which helped to establish a clear story to the night and helped keep the audience focussed throughout. As the audience was clearly full of die-hard Rocky Horror fans, it was very important that this show had a host who was just as passionate about the cult classic as they were and My Liege was able to do this perfectly!
The first performer to take to the stage was the incredible ‘brave’ Sar Chasm (who we first saw at the Sly event which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/05/01/sly-production-review/) who portrayed the character of Brad flawlessly! When lined up against the plethora of eccentric characters that appear in the original movie Brad is one of the characters that can easily get overlooked by Sar clearly made a conscious effort to make sure this would not happen at this show! I would have to say as a performer, Sar Chasm clearly made the most effort to make sure their set at this effort was the most closely tied to the assigned character as they included dialogue in between their songs that made sense to the role but also captured the journey of the character throughout the original film. One of the most iconic duets to come out of the Rocky Horror Picture Show comes at the beginning of the movie called “Damn it Janet” where the newly engaged couple Bran Majours and Janet Weiss showcase a heartfelt love song about how they met. This is why I personally thought it was fantastic for Sar to include this number as their first musical number as it matched the source material amazingly. Instead of performing alongside another performer, however, Sar decided to take on the immense challenge of doing both parts of this song with a sock puppet as their lover. This was not only hilarious but also showcased how talented this drag performer is as they were able to flawlessly switch between the Male and Female presenting characters with ease. This then transitioned into a rendition of “Disturbia” by Rhinanon where Sar has cleverly re-written the lyrics to be about Brad’s experience in the castle which again was equal parts brilliant and equal parts insanely clever. The closing sequence of this performer’s set saw them begin removing items of clothing which was an obvious nod to the end of the movie where Brad is involved in the sensual Floor show which showed an incredible eye for detail but also ties to the original movie the audience were clearly avid fans of!
Next up was the amazing Vanity Act (who we interviewed on our YouTube channel which you can watch at Rhys Reviews in conversation with Vanity Act!) who was portraying the insanely eccentric Riff Raff. The Hell Haus Cabret show (which you can read more about at https://rhysreviews.com/2023/10/23/hell-haus-production-review/) founder took to the stage in an incredible sequin suit (which I actually want to steal) complete with a hump and the iconic white hair which captured the at times creepy house servant perfectly. For those who have not seen the 1975 movie, After getting engaged Brad and Janet go on a road trip to meet one of the old teachers but a breakdown means that they try to find refuge in a mysterious castle where they are greeted by the eccentric Riff Raff who introduces them to the plethora of creatures that reside in the castle. It is clear that Vanity also paid attention to the key plot points from the original Rocky Horror classic as they performed “Calling All the Monsters” by China Anne McClain which mirrored the scene where Riff takes the newlywed couple deeper into the castle. Being an overworked and underappreciated worker for the castle, I thought it was a brilliant choice for Vanity to perform the high-energy, titular song “9 to 5” from the musical of the same name as this number also talks about not getting the credit they deserve. On top of this, this number was also clearly a crowd pleasure as every single person in the audience was singing and dancing along to the Dolly Parton classic.
Joining Vaniity on the stage during the latter part of her set was the brilliant Myst Fortune (who we recently interviewed on our YouTube channel which you can watch at Rhys Reviews in conversation with Myst Fortune!) as the equally eccentric Magenta who is the sister/lover of the aforementioned Riff Raff. The pair delivered one of the most iconic numbers from the Rocky Horror Picture Show ‘The Time Warp’ which the audience went absolutely wild for. As this is one of the most well-known numbers from the show, the pressure was one for this pair to deliver but they did not seem fazed in the slightest as they delivered a high-energy performance the audience really loved. My favourite moment from this number however saw Vanity and Myst go behind each other as the other was singing their verse and showcasing their interpretative dance talents which was amazing to watch. Touching on the more unhinged nature of the character Myst also performed the wonderfully spooky “rip her to shreds” by Blondie which was an obvious nod to the Halloween nature of the show (and the time of the event itself.) While this was a song I was not particularly familiar with prior to this event, based on Myst’s performance it is something I need to add to my spook playlist immediately! Having known Myst for a fairly long time now, I am aware of her incredible dance abilities but I have to say it was a wonderful surprise to see her sing live and this is something I think we need to see more of from this performer going forward!
Taking on the most iconic character from the Rocky Horror Show Frank N Futer was the incredible Chae with a C (who is currently our third most viewed interview on YouTube which you can watch at Rhys Reviews in conversation with Chae with a C!) This again is a very prestigious character that the majority of the Rocky Horror fans come to see and Chae surprised the already high expectations with ease! As well as taking on this iconic character, Chae was also tasked with the taking on my personal favourite numbers from the entirety of musical theatre history ‘Sweet Transvestite’ which again is immense pressure but Chae dealt with this flawlessly. If you have seen a Chae with a C show (which we mostly recently wrote about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/06/11/cabaret-of-queerosities-little-shop-of-rocky-horrors/) you will know that they are a master of crowd participation which they utilised this within their homage to the legendary character. I thought it was fantastic to see Chae showcase a much more vocal-heavy style of performance with the much welcomed Chae with a C twist as they used every inch of the Eclipse venue including an incredible moment where they climbed onto the bar. The immersive element of the show helped to add the perfect amount of excitement to their performance and helped the audience stay engaged from the very moment they stepped onto the stage. This performer decided to close their set with a rendition of “Mr Brightside” which I have to admit was not a song I would have associated with a Rocky Horror tribute show but the audience went absolutely wild as the iconic The KIllers motif started to play!
I have to admit that it took me an embarrassing length of time for me to realise that the character name Frank N Futer was a play of words based on the 1818, gothic classic Frankenstein as they both use their talents to discover the secret to create life and both create a creature who eventually turns of them. Bringing life to the “Rocky Horror” creature was the host of this entire event My Liege who again showcased their love for this cult classic by showcasing an accurate performance of the character. During their rendition of “The Sword of Damocles” they began removing items of clothing as “Frank” chased him around the venue which not only showcased overwhelming amounts of courage (as this is something I could never do) but also again was a clear tribute to the movie as this exact thing happens in the original movie. They decided to also bust out a performance of “Life on mars” by David Bowie which again was a clear reference to the supernatural and intergalactic nature of the show. This performance saw My Liege lean into the high energy and eccentric performances we expect from the most recent winner of Jolene’s drag race!
After a short break, the audience returned to be treated to a series of performances from the insanely talented Polly Amorous (who we reviewed during their camp interpretation of the nativity story which you can read about at https://getthechance.wales/2023/12/23/review-the-first-xxxmas-by-rhys-payne/) who also clearly made a conscious effort to pick songs and outfit made total sense with her assigned character Janet. Alongside “Sweet Transvestitie”, one of my favourite songs from The Rocky Horror Picture Show is “Touch a touch a touch me” which is a duet between Janet and the Rocky Horror which Polly performed beautifully with the crowd roaring the lyrics at the performer. She also decided to use every inch of the venue (including the bar itself) throughout her performances which again added a wonderful amount of excitement to the number. Throughout the movie, the love story between Brad and Janet because somewhat strained as they separately spend a night with the master of house Frank and so I thought it was very clever for Polly to showcase their rendition of “Hopelessly Devoted To You” from the musical movie Grease (which you can read our review of at https://fairypoweredproductions.com/grease-review-8/) as this song also talks about getting over a relationship while still having feelings for the other person. It came as a surprise to no one that Polly absolutely nailed this deceivingly difficult, vocal-heavy song but Polly did not seem fazed in the slightest as they demonstrated their own incredible vocal talents.
Closing the show was the co-owner of Eclipse the fabulous Josefeela Ma Hunt (who we most recently saw at Eclipse Got Talent which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/03/28/eagles-got-talent-2-production-review/) who looked amazing in a punk rock-inspired look with a fantastic mohawk. They helped the changeover from the official event into a post-show celebration by thanking the organisers and performers. This transitioned into an energetic performance of a series of songs from the Tina Turner musical. Those who know me in real life will know that I turn absolutely feral when the iconic Proud Mary Motiff starts to play and clearly at this event I was not the only one. The audience erupted into a chorus of vocals as Josefeela led a extremely fun and energetic version of this iconic number!
Overall, the Meet me in Transylvania cabaret event was a heartfelt tribute to one of the most iconic musicals to ever exist while simultaneously showcasing the incredible array of drag talents Cardiff has to offer. As a fan of the original musical, I loved seeing the movie being blended together with a more cabaret-infused style through the clever narration from My Liege. This structure could be easily transferred to other iconic movies/musicals in the future and if timed correctly, could be an opportunity for Eclipse to create seasonal and themed events that would instantly attract fans of whatever show they pay homage to. This event also allowed the drag performers to showcase what they do best with many showing a side to them I personally had not seen before which helped to add even more excitement to the space. I would rate this event 4.5 stars out of 5!
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