Rocky Horror: Adam Rennie is Australia’s new Frank N Furter
After just one day of rehearsal, Australian performer Adam Rennie took to the Adelaide Festival Theatre stage last night to perform the iconic role of Frank N Furter in the current tour of The Rocky Horror Show.
Today, producers Howard Panter, John Frost and GWB Entertainment today announced that Rennie will perform the role of Frank N Furter for the show’s forthcoming Brisbane and Perth seasons.
After Craig McLachlan stepped out of the role on Monday, Rennie (who was already performing each night the principal roles of Eddie/Dr Scott) was called upon as understudy to don the fishnets and heels as Transylvania’s sweetest transvestite. Rapturous applause and an outpouring of support greeted him after the show and the role now belongs to Rennie.
The Adelaide Advertiser said “Rennie has the looks, the legs, the luscious lips and most importantly of all, the lungs to make a meal of this iconic role……the night was Rennie’s and it was a triumph, and the audience stood and screamed their heads off.”
Rennie’s understudy Geoffrey Winter took on the roles of Eddie/Dr Scott last night but it remains unconfirmed who will take over those roles moving forward. No announcement has been made about the role of Frank N Furter for the Melbourne season at Her Majesty’s Theatre from July 13.
Rennie recently returned to Australia after moving to New York in 2012 where he performed in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, the Australian musical Once We Lived Here and played the leading role in the US national tour of Flashdance -The Musical. He is a 2008 graduate of The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and his Australasian credits include Crazy for You, Jekyll & Hyde, The Producers, Prodigal and Love Never Dies. He has also worked alongside the legendary Debbie Reynolds in Irene.
The production will move to Brisbane next week and Rennie will be joined on stage in Brisbane by Cameron Daddo playing the Narrator, Kristian Lavercombe who astounded audiences in the 2014/15 tour as Riff Raff, musical theatre favourites Amanda Harrison as Magenta, Nadia Komazec as Columbia and Brendan Irving as Rocky. Playing the roles of Brad and Janet, the naïve young couple caught up in a situation they don’t understand, are Rob Mallett and Michelle Smitheram. The ensemble cast includes Geoffrey Winter, Bianca Baykara, Ross Chisari, Hollie James, Hayley Martin and Stephen McDowell.
Currently playing at the Festival Theatre at the Adelaide Festival Centre until January 13 the production will then play at QPAC, Brisbane from January 17, the Crown Theatre, Perth from February 17 and Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre from July 13.
Am greatly relieved as booked tickets to Perth show ages ago but would not want to go with Craig M in the role.