Rocky at Forty: Roxanne Pallett plays Janet

It’s absolutely hysterical every
performance. It’s the one show that you can really lose all your
inhibitions in and it’s just like a party from beginning to end.
From the moment that we all got together for rehearsals, and Richard
O’Brien walked in, it’s just been something that’s impossible
to put into words. It’s not your typical show. It’s not a
straight play, it’s not a musical – I actually think that
Rocky Horror is in a genre all of its own.

Also, it’s great to be a part of it
because it’s so nostalgic and it’s so iconic and the music –
well, it’s a testament to how great the writing is that we’re
celebrating its 40th anniversary and we’re playing
sell-out shows.

How does it feel being
passed around the cast every show?

You know what? I do sometimes feel
quite violated because I think it’s only the Narrator who doesn’t
get a handful of her. From Brad, to Frank ‘N’ Furter and then Rocky I
pretty much get it on with every man in this cast, but it is part of
Janet’s process – her sexual evolution – and we’re having so
much fun playing the scenes.

Obviously, we have become a very
close-knit group now, but it’s certainly a great ice-breaker when
you’ve got to do that type of bed scene and sing songs like
“Touch-a ouch-a touch-a touch me” in the first week of
rehearsals!

After playing Jo in Emmerdale
and getting beaten up in that storyline, my Mum said to me “You
don’t half choose these roles” and she’s right. I always seem
to play a villain or a victim and with Janet she starts off so
fragile and vulnerable and she ends up so corrupt but I love playing
extreme characters and it’s even better if there’s physicality to
it as well. This summer I did two films and I walked away battered
and bruised from doing the stunts on those but I’d be unhappy as an
actress if I played bland “vanilla” characters.

Janet’s “sexual
evolution”, as you called it, is spectacularly quick!

Oh yes, it really is and I think the
costumes help because they are out of this world. I put the pink
dress on at the beginning for the wedding scene with Brad, and I’ve
gone blonde in this show too, I really do feel like that All-American
girl and that really helps to get into the right mindset for that era
too.

Also, Ben Forster is my dream leading
man. He is perfect in every way. I think that’s why it’s so great
to be an actress, you get to work with such talented people and it’s
perfectly ok to fall in love with your leading man.

You do have something of
the look of Sandra Dee from Grease
at the beginning.

You know what, I think, if I did that
show, it would be Rizzo that I’d want to play. I am always drawn to
the slightly broken character so it’s always the one that is
misunderstood or that has a real tempestuous journey to go on or just
broken and bruised within.

With Janet I start the show playing the
archetypal “prom queen” in a way and then, by the end of the
show, she’s been so corrupted. She’s become such a sexual
predator that you can’t really go on much more of a journey than
that. It’s a bit like playing two different characters in Act One
and Act Two.

Are you getting used to all
the naughty bits?

Oh yes, I am indeed. I have a great bed
scene with Oliver Thornton, as Frank, who I think is just
absolutely phenomenal. He really is, he is so comedic and he just
doesn’t realise how great he is. He’s just a genius at his craft,
so I’m really lucky to be working with him.

Then I’ve got Ben and Rhydian (as
Rocky), as well – I’m surrounded by all this testosterone, but
they all look better in suspenders and heels than I do! I’m quite
upset about that! I look at Ben in his heels and think “Why do look
sexier than me?” and then I look at Oliver in his outfits and
wonder “Why do you have better legs than me?” – It’s so
annoying!