There are not many musicals where you are encouraged to show up dressed like the characters, spray people with water pistols or heckle the performers, but with The Rocky Horror Show, the audience will be asked to do just that.

The cult phenomenon which is Rocky Horror is being presented in Malta for the first time thanks to Masquerade, featuring a cast of up and coming musical talent and two British performers.

The day I chose for this interview happened to be the last day of Carnival – a very bad idea for parking purposes but, as I made my way through the floats, grotesque masks and cross-dressing men in Floriana, I realised it was strangely appropriate for the theme of the show.

Director/producer Anthony Bezzina explained that those who have never seen Rocky Horror (or “virgins” as they are called) will be given instructions about how they are expected to interact with the show.

“We’re going to have quite a few British people who have booked through the internet, specifically coming over to attend three of the shows. They will dress up and lead the rest. With your tickets you will be given leaflets on how you should enjoy the Rocky Horror Show. Of course, dressing up is optional, and we are adding a few of our own interruptions which are shouted out by the audience. This is part of the worldwide phenomenon of this production, where in each country, the audience improvises its own lines. I’ve even giving the narrator (Malcolm Galea) the leeway to put some Maltese words in. I recently watched a production of the show in Germany where they did the same thing, putting in German words. I think it will give it a local tinge.

I changed the venue from the Manoel Theatre because I knew we couldn’t possibly have people throwing things there. So now we’re doing it at Ta’ Qali, which we are going to partition, of course, because we want it to be an intimate theatre. It’s ideal because it’s heated. Harry Borg is designing the massive set which is being built as we speak, so it’s all coming together now.

As for the cast I knew that the roles of Frank Furter and Rocky demanded certain types. The Frank character is a bit risqué and I don’t think I could have found a local to do it, so that is why I turned to a foreign performer. As for Rocky, he had to have the right physique so we’re building him up with protein.

But with all due respect to our English guys, our trump card was having Chris Dingli back, fresh from Weber Douglas. He now lives and works in the UK, so he has come over specifically for this show.

Andy Reiss who did Seussical with us, is the musical director, conducting the Beyond the Barricade band. I decided to use this band because they’re used to working together, they know the musical very well and obviously they can rehearse while they’re in the UK.

Musically, this was very hard, but Andy has managed to put in lots of harmonies. Choreography is by Alison White with costumes by Ernest Camilleri.”

Matthew Simpson

(Dr Frank N. Furter) –

“Vocally, this role is quite demanding. My character has great numbers all the way through in a variety of styles as well, so as an actor and a singer that’s great for me. It’s a fantastic show, of course, but generally it is quite odd and weird. I’m a transvestite alien from the planet Transsexual! It’s very dark, and I’m enjoying every minute of it.

You can’t be alive in the UK and not have heard about the Rocky Horror Show. Everyone knows it very well, especially the song Time Warp. It’s become part of British culture so it’s great that Malta will be able to experience it.”

Chris Dingli (Riff Raff)

The last time I spoke to Chris was just before he left for London over two years ago, when he was performing in Snubbed Actors Inc.

“I’m playing Frank Furter’s butler and right-hand man. But I have aspirations as well. I’ve seen the show in London and it’s very good fun. It’s not going to put you to sleep, that’s for sure. When the Rocky Horror film was first shown, it was at these small dingy theatres where no one is going to tell you anything if you yell out at the screen, and that’s how the cult started. Actually, we’ve done that a couple of times ourselves at the cinema during the 2pm screening when it’s usually nobody but us and the projector guy swearing because he had to show the film!”

Abigail Williams (Columbia)

“Columbia throws herself all over the men because she’s desperate to get married. Frank pretends to like her but keeps pushing her out of the way. I’m really having fun in this production because the cast is great to work with.”

ROGER ROWLEY (Rocky)

“I got involved in this show because I know Andy Reiss, the musical director. I was on one of his master class workshops, when he got the text message that the Rocky for this show had dropped out so I got the part there and then, which was nice. Rocky is supposedly the perfect man created by Frank in his laboratory from bits of his former lovers. The muscles have yet to arrive but they’re on their way, honest (he shows me how many grams of protein he has had that day, which he has ingeniously written on his arm). He doesn’t say a lot, he’s thick, he’s only got a half a brain and he will be blond very soon as well.”

Malcolm Galea

(narrator)

“I pretty much went straight from performing in the play Audacity to this production. I’m playing the narrator, a very dry character, who pops in and out, makes comments, and tells the story. Rocky Horror is an institution now; a lot of people know the story so over the years the narrator has become more of a self-parody. I’ve been given the license to play with the lines and add a few Maltese references.”

Dorothy Bezzina (Magenta)

“This is my first production with Masquerade. I’m the maid at the castle and Riff Raff is supposed to be my brother, with whom I have a curious “relationship”.

Alexandra Camilleri Warne (Janet Weiss)

“We don’t want to reveal too much, but Janet starts out as being very “good”, and then changes a lot. It’s a challenging role because there’s such a big change. It’s fun as well because you can play two roles. I identify with the nerdy Janet more than the other one! It’s the first time I’m working with Tony, and I think he’s very professional. Usually you’re told not to overdo it when you’re being given direction, but in this show it’s completely the reverse – you can go really over the top!”

Matthew Anastasi (Brad Majors)

“Brad, too, starts out very nerdy but changes along the way. Originally one might think he stays the same all through out, but the show is very much larger-than-life, and very stylised. Since there’s not much script to work with you really have to build the character through the songs and dancing.”

Colin Fitz (Eddie/Dr Scott)

“I have two characters to play in the show and two great, groovy songs to sing. In the film, people might recall that the singer Meatloaf played one of my characters (Eddie). Eddie is Dr Scott’s nephew. There are many memorable characters actually, and I look forward to people’s reaction to the show.”

The Rocky Horror Show is on at the Malta Conventions Centre, Ta’ Qali at 8pm on 10, 16, 17, 18 March. The opening night will include an after party with free drinks plus a retro disco with Colin Fitz playing 60s, 70s and 80s music.

Tickets are Lm10 and are available from Masquerade or from www.maltaticket.com. Call 7979-3737.