Rocky Horror: A chance to do the 50th anniversary Timewarp at the Playhouse

Ever since Richard O’Brien came up with the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the movies, they built up a cult following with the emphasis on outrageous dress. Make up and fishnets seem compulsory at the very least for these shows and the Time Warp dance remains a staple even today and first seen at Jackie O’s disco on the Esplanade from the hit single by Damian.

Since it’s inception the stage show has toured 30 countries in 20 languages and has 30 million theatregoers party in style.It runs from March 13-18h.

Just announced and direct from the London Palladium, the Edinburgh Playhouse will welcome The Wizard Of Oz (Feb 13-17, 2024). Featuring the classic music from the film plus additional songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, this show is so new the cast has still to be announced.

Tickets have just gone on sale this week though so they must expect a demand at this early date. Songs like the Yellow Brick Road, Off To See The Wizard and of course Over The Rainbow immediately come to mind as does the characters of Dorothy, the Tin Man, cowardly Lion, Scarecrow and her faithful dog Toto.

I see the ‘early bird’ booking fee to perform at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe end this week so theatre producers and amateur companies are frantically getting their act together in order to save the spiraling costs of putting on a show.

It aims to be bigger this August too with more confidence among the companies I know and demand for peak time slots at the various venues heats up considerably.

The last minute post-Covid approach of last year meant you could still register a month before the event and the printed programme only came out in July. Spiraling costs of accommodation put off a lot of English and overseas groups quite understandably and of course this affects audiences too.

I always recommended they stay in Fife, to help our local economy - and then the trains went on strike making the roads even more chaotic. Having said that some shows coming to Edinburgh out with Fringe time make it very tempting for music and theatre fans.