Let’s do the
TIME WARP AGAIN! Ore Oduba, star of The Rocky Horror Show which is coming to Llandudno next month, tells us why the show is just the tonic that audiences need…
As lockdown eases and theatres begin reopening, Ore Oduba
his first job as a sports broadcaster in Edinburgh. In 2008 he
believes The Rocky Horror Show is just the boost audiences
joined the Newsround team before going on to present BBC
around the country are in need of.
Breakfast, Radio 5 Live and The One Show among many other credits.
“Theatregoers are gagging for a great night out,” says the Strictly Come Dancing champion, who stars in the legendary
Partnering with Joanne Clifton on the 14th series of Strictly
musical when it hits the road again this summer. “They’re
Come Dancing in 2016, he jived his way to victory, then both
desperate and clawing at the walls, and this show is the
performed in and hosted Strictly live tours. He has continued
perfect remedy to everything we’ve all been through. People
to work as a presenter as well as branching out into musical
want to laugh and be uplifted and to be able to forget about
theatre, playing crooner Teen Angel in the 2019 Grease UK
everything for a couple of hours. It’s all about ‘Leave your
tour and songwriter Aaron Fox in the 2019/2020 tour and
inhibitions at the door – we haven’t got time for that’.”
West End production of Curtains.
In the risqué and riotously funny show, Ore plays squeaky-
Doing theatre feels like things have come full circle for Ore,
clean Brad Majors – who, along with his fiancée Janet Weiss,
since one of his proudest moments was when at age 13
inadvertently cross paths with mad scientist Frank-N-Furter
he won the school drama prize for his performance in the
and his bunch of outrageous followers. Cue fun, frolics, frocks
musical Seven Golden Dragons. “Then at secondary school I
and frivolity, classic songs like The Time Warp and Sweet
did every production under the sun. It was only when I went
Transvestite – and Oduba in various states of undress.
to university that I turned my attention to broadcasting, but Strictly reminded me ‘Oh my gosh, I love being on stage’.
The TV and radio presenter, musical theatre star and possessor of the coveted Strictly Glitterball Trophy was quick to say yes when the offer to play Brad came in, although he did consult with his wife first. “It’s such an iconic show and so well-loved,” says the man who has been married to TV researcher Portia since 2015. “Bit I thought ‘I wonder
“On the surface doing musical theatre now might seem like a big change-up but when I look back to where I felt happiest and most comfortable when I was younger it was always on stage. In many ways it’s kind of what I always wanted to do. After Grease and Curtains, Rocky Horror is another step up in my
what my wife is going to say about audiences
so-far short musical theatre career and a lovely
seeing me in stockings’. I needn’t have worried
chance for me to do something liberating, fun and
because what I’d forgotten is that Rocky Horror
a little bit different.”
is one of her and her family’s favourite shows of all time. She was beside herself,” Ore laughs. “She
Since it premiered in 1973 at The Royal Court’s
also started chuckling at the idea of me being on
Theatre Upstairs, Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show
stage in just my briefs for the early part of
has grown into a worldwide phenomenon, has been seen
the show, then coming out later in stockings
by over 30 million people worldwide who turn up for what
and high heels.”
is the ultimate guaranteed party. n
Not that Oduba has ever been the shy sort. Born in
The Rocky Horror Show will be playing at Venue Cymru
London and raised in Dorset, he studied sports and
between 13th and 18th September. For tickets please
social sciences at Loughborough University before
visit RockyHorror.co.uk
NWM 2021 Page 29
