FOLLOWING the film’s 40th anniversary celebrations this year, Richard O’Brien’s cult favourite is heading back out on the road in its original incarnation, launching its tour this Christmas in Brighton.

Duncan Hall caught up with X Factor star Diana Vickers and Emmerdale’s Ben Freeman ahead of rehearsals about playing the all-American couple at the heart of the story: Brad and Janet.

The Guide: Are you excited to be starting the tour in Brighton?

Diana Vickers: It’s so much fun – we’re going to have the best audience in Brighton, everyone is really fun and outgoing there.

Ben Freeman: I did a film in Brighton a while ago with Mark Williams – a black and white science fiction film called The Dark Channel. It was long days and nights, there’s a lot involved in making a low-budget film, but it’s a great film. [The film is set for release in May 2016]

Were you already Rocky Horror fans?

Diana: I knew the film and watched it when I was younger. I have lots of friends who are huge fans. It feels pretty special to be doing it for such a cult following. About eight of my friends have bought tickets already – on nights out they get very excited when they talk about it.

Ben: I love the era of film it’s based on – the Hammer Horror and science fiction stuff. I used to watch them as a kid and frighten myself silly. Lots of those characters I watched will hopefully come through in Brad.

Are you looking forward to rehearsals?

Ben: I know the director Christopher Luscombe likes to do things differently every time.

Diana: He’s an incredible director – he directed my sister [Charlotte] in the West End a few years ago [in JB Priestley’s When We Are Married] and she has nothing but nice things to say about him.

Are you nervous about taking on the roles?

Diana: It’s a big thing when you know the fans are so hardcore. There’s a lot of expectations. I did about four auditions to the part – by the end I felt like I was Janet!

She’s a bit of a hussy – I get to flirt with Brad, Frank and Rocky in the show. I love how she’s so innocent to start with, and then this inner vixen gets released. You get to have lots of chemistry with lots of different boys!

Ben: It will be nice to watch all this madness going on around Brad. He’s very different from playing The Fonz [who Ben played in the touring version of Happy Days]. You put different aspects of yourself into it. He has some funny lines, but I have to play them straight. You can’t get caught up in the craziness. Doing the film Mark Williams told me it’s one of the hardest things to play a straight character.

How are you going to handle the audience interaction?

Ben: As an actor you’re used to the audience being incredibly silent in the theatre. For Rocky Horror Show it’s somewhere between a musical and a rock concert I suppose!

When we do our dress run I’ve heard they bring in 50 to 60 people to shout at us so we can get used to it.

Diana: I went to the 40th anniversary concert at the Royal Albert Hall and it was madness. There were people yelling all kinds of abuse, but it’s all in fun. People really go for it, and stand up and dance in their costumes. The audience is such a key part of the whole show.

Doing [2013 topical political satire] The Duck House with Ben Miller was fantastic – there was a lot of heckling, and Ben was always breaking the fourth wall to talk to the audience. I used to get really embarrassed and go bright red, but by the end of six months I’d built up my confidence.

I’m a girl from Blackburn – I know they yell “slag” at Janet so I have to remember not to yell back!

Do you think the message of the Rocky Horror Show – to not dream it but be it – is even more important today?

Diana: Totally – it’s such a big thing. If you don’t like me for who I am then tough. I always follow people on Instagram who put up life quotes – such as “Be who you are”.

I don’t get a lot of criticism on social media – a lot of hate goes over my head. If it does get personal or I don’t agree with it I might respond back, but it’s quite bizarre. Often the response will be ‘I didn’t mean that’. People become really apologetic. If you’re going to say something stick to it!

I’m the biggest critic of myself – there was a complimentary article in The Telegraph recently, and I started picking myself apart reading it!

Are you both focusing on musical theatre now?

Diana: I want to be a performer, so I have got to have lots of different things to do. I’m not saying ‘now I’m going to be a musical theatre actor’.

I’m not working on any music at the moment – it took two years to write my last album [Music To Make Boys Cry] and two years to write the one before that [Songs From The Tainted Cherry Tree]. That was four years in the studio – I couldn’t face going back in again – I wanted to do something different.

My dream life would be to do a play once a year, then do a film and then a musical. It’s about having variety – I get really bored of things really easily.

The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice [in which she played the title character in 2009] was really hard – it was so intense. When I was younger my confidence level was so up. I was in rehearsals for four weeks prior to everyone else – I lived and breathed [the character] LV. I bought all the records and learned them. Maybe playing Janet I need to become her too!

Ben: There is more pressure being on a show like this than a soap. You feel responsible for the show as a whole every night – it’s difficult if something isn’t working or not registering. There’s a different audience every night – you can’t just stop and so another take. You have to learn your lines and your dance moves, especially if you’re not a dancer like me!

I have to make sure my voice is on song every night – you have to look after yourself, especially when you’re away from home.

How does it feel to be working over Christmas?

Diana: I performed in Little Voice over Christmas, and The Duck House over Christmas too! You only get about two nights off – on Little Voice I did two shows on Boxing Day. I love being in the theatre over Christmas – it’s such a great atmosphere.

Ben: I love Brighton, it’s one of my favourite places – if I was ever going to move to a city it would be there.

  • Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show at Theatre Royal Brighton, New Road, until Saturday, January 2.  Starts 7.45pm, except 5.30pm and 8.30pm Saturdays, Fri 18, Sun 27 and Tues 29, and 6.30pm and 9.30pm New Year’s Eve, from £12. Call 08448 717650.