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What: The Rocky Horror Show
When: From April 24
Where: Comedy Theatre, Melbourne
Tickets: From $59.90
Bookings: ticketmaster.com.au
THERE was one major thing that enticed Ballarat's Ashlea Pyke to audition for The Rocky Horror Show - its timelessness.
"It was the longevity of the show. It has stood the test of time," Pyke said.
"At the time, it was so ground-breaking and was only intended to ever do a few weeks and now we're 40 years on. I think that's really enticing."
A true classic, The Rocky Horror Show is one of theatre's most endearing and outrageously fun shows.
Having opened at London's Royal Court Theatre in 1973, the show quickly developed a cult following, and was adapted into the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which has the longest-running release in film history.
The iconic brand holds a unique place in theatre history, a show which has defied the decades and continued to grow in popularity.
It's about being free and being whoever you want to be and that's something that will always be important.
- Ashlea Pyke
Pyke said there were a few elements to the show which made it as iconic as it was.
"I think it's the music and the message as well. It's about being free and being whoever you want to be and that's something that will always be important," she said.
"There's the fun and the craziness of it but at the heart of it it's about being yourself."
The 2014 Australian tour of Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show will be opening in Melbourne this week, featuring an all-star cast including Craig McLachlan, Christie Whelan Browne, Tim Maddren, Kristian Lavercombe, and Erika Heynatz.
Pyke herself will take on the role of Columbia who she described as "mental".
"She's just a little bit mental and kooky and loves to tap and I kind of identify with that," she said.
"She's a great character; definitely the most kooky. She's just like a firecracker who's always going off."
Featuring classics such as Sweet Transvestite, Dammit Janet, I Can Make You A Man, Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me, Over At The Frankenstein Place and of course The Time Warp, the show promises to have audiences singing and moving along.
"It's been amazing doing the show," Pyke said.