Rollo's Riff Raff rocks Rocky Horror

Henry Rollo talks to Sarah Halfpenny about growing up on the Peninsula, discovering musicals at school, and landing the role of Riff Raff in the 50th anniversary production of The Rocky Horror Show.

How did you get into performing and what led you to pursue it as a career?

I always knew I was interested in performing, but I was painfully shy. In high school I discovered musicals and my school, Peninsula Grammar, had an amazing faculty that nurtured that interest. They took the musicals quite seriously, which I'm very grateful for. I wasn't academic and I didn't have a sense of identity anywhere else. I thank my high school teachers because I don't think they realise what a huge influence they had on me.

How did you prepare for the role of Riff Raff and what challenges have you faced?

The role itself is very challenging. There are different ways you can do it, but I knew the version we were doing was going to have a lot of extra high notes in it. So I sang the material three times a day for a couple of months once I got cast because I needed to build that stamina to be able to tour and do eight shows a week. Something I've been shocked by is that we've done over 70 shows now and I still get nervous before every performance. I know what I'm doing, but I have a moment before each show where I have to calm myself and focus because otherwise I’ll start shaking. That's something I'm learning to navigate – I guess it’s just part of my process.

How did you feel when you found out you'd been cast in the show?

I may have shed a tear. I was pretty thrilled. This is a show I felt a connection to since I first saw it in 2008 when it came to Melbourne. It's so abstract and silly and funny. I saw an opportunity in the show for people who were a bit strange to take the spotlight, which was significant for me because I'm gangly and long and a bit different. I'm not the conventional romantic male lead, so to get a role in a show that celebrates people who are different was special.

What's it been like working with Jason Donovan (Frank N Furter) and Myf Warhurst (The Narrator)?

They're beautiful people. It was cool to have both of them for the rehearsal period because that’s when we craft the show together. Jason's wonderfully eccentric and I feel like it informed the tone of how we built our show. His performance style is so wild, certainly as Frank N Furter, that it created an environment where everyone felt comfortable matching his crazy, which really sets our production apart. And Myf is one of the sweetest, most amazing people. Not only is she such an asset to our production with her energy and the way she delivers The Narrator, but it’s like having a cheerleader in the room, constantly cheering everyone on.

Tell us about growing up on the Mornington Peninsula. Do you still come back to visit?

My family's from Flinders. Growing up there I didn't necessarily feel like it was where I belonged, but now I’ve come to appreciate it so much more. I do come back because my family are all there and my sisters are having babies. Now I see the potential in this beautiful place I can show people, and I realise how lucky I was to grow up there.

What can audiences expect from this 50th anniversary show?

This show is a nice mix of honouring the original while also having new interpretations, new comedic moments and new takes on the music that keeps it feeling fresh without diverting too much from what made it great in the first place. It's a really good show to help remind people how much they love theatre.

What are your ambitions?

In the future I would love to play Riff Raff overseas if that opportunity ever came up. In the meantime, I'm excited to be bringing the show to Melbourne because finally my family and friends can see me in something locally.

The Rocky Horror Show is currently playing at Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre.

The cast of The Rocky Horror Show does the Time Warp . . . again. Photo: Daniel Boud

Top Photo: Jason Donovan as Frank N Furter with Henry Rollo as Riff Raff.

Jason Donovan as Frank N Furter with Henry Rollo as Riff Raff.

Henry Rollo plays Riff Raff in The Rocky Horror Show.

Photo: Pierre Toussaint

Photo: Pierre Toussaint