SHADES of The Rocky Horror Show! Eating Raoul - book by Paul Bartel, based on his 1982 black comedy, a cult classic, lyrics by Boyd Graham, music by Jed Feuer - is every bit as ghoulish and funny as anything Dr Frankenfurter got up to in his castle. It fills the Bridewell, one of the nicest of the London fringe theatres, perfectly.
The plot concerns the Blands, Mary - the deliciously plump, innocent, and tuneful Alison Jiear - and Paul, the thinking nerd's nerd (Michael Matus), whose dream is to own a restaurant in the country. But they lose their jobs, have no money, and are at their
wits' end. One day they
discover the perfect way to
raise the necessary cash: murder. Mary will ''service'' swingers, who are bopped with a frying pan by Paul before things go too far.
All goes well until Raoul, the janitor in their block of flats, realises what they are doing and takes over. What Mary and Paul don't know is Raoul is selling the bodies for dog food and pocketing the money from selling the victim's cars. He has also seduced Mary, which makes Paul very angry indeed. The five-strong supporting cast play many parts to great effect, and Eduardo Enrikez as Raoul, undulating in what he calls his ''yomp zoot'', a skin-tight confection in black satin with frills, is the lusty Latin lover incarnate. Among many choice moments is the one when Mary, dressed as Ginger, Rogers is expecting Fred Astaire to turn up, only to meet another (male) Ginger. It is all outrageously camp, the music is tuneful, and the lyrics a cut above the usual and frequently near the knuckle. Eating Raoul is a veritable feast of fun.
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