Theatre review: The Stripper

Theatrical memes seem to take turns - the spoon-playing looks to have pretty much passed the baton to the elaborate coup de théâtre meme now - so it's an unexpected and unwelcome return for one from the first few months of 2016, as the St James Theatre sticks strictly to the 8pm start time for shows in its basement Studio, despite the fact that The Stripper has a two-and-a-half hour running time. Pulp novelist Carter Brown adapted one of his own stories for the book of this 1982 musical with music by Richard Hartley and lyrics by Richard O'Brien - and there are moments when The Rocky Horror Show does indeed come to mind in the songs, even though the overall style has quite a different feel, going for a jazzy influence that reflects the seedy 1960s LA club where much of the action takes place.

Theatre review: The Rocky Horror Show

I toyed with calling this a "non-review," my term for when I don't feel qualified to pass comment on something (usually because I didn't stay to the end.) In this instance it wouldn't have been because of me but because Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show has gone beyond anything that can actually be reviewed, into a surreal immersive experience where most of the audience know the script better than the cast do. In fact I've never seen the show on stage before, although I have seen the film; Christopher Luscombe’s production seems to be almost permanently touring the country so I always figured there'd be another chance to catch it. But after seeing the obscure sequel Shock Treatment last year it seemed about time for a visit to the famous original, in which newly-engaged couple Brad (arsehole) (Ben Freeman) and Janet’s (slut) (Diana Vickers) car breaks down and they go to a spooky mansion to see if they have a phone they can use (they don't.)

Theatre review: Shock Treatment

Famous flops are, of course, often revived years later to great acclaim, so that isn't what kept me away from Shock Treatment so long - especially since Julie Atherton leads the cast. But the King's Head's scheduling of the show at 10pm or midnight showings put me off until now, when the show's success has seen its run extended, and I could make a Sunday matinee performance. Richard Hartley, Richard O'Brien and Jim Sharman's sequel to The Rocky Horror Show took the opposite path to the original by being made into a film first - it was a critical and box office failure, meaning it hasn't turned up on a stage until now, with a new book by Tom Crowley. Brad (Ben Kerr) and Janet (Atherton) are now a married couple settled into small-town American anonymity, but Brad losing his job and Janet becoming the breadwinner has put a strain on their marriage.