Jason Donovan on appearing at this Scottish theatre in his fishnets and high heels

L-R_ Natasha Hoeberigs (Magenta), Job Greuter (Riff Raff), Jason Donovan (Frank N Furter), Lauren Chia (Janet). L-R_ Natasha Hoeberigs (Magenta), Job Greuter (Riff Raff), Jason Donovan (Frank N Furter), Lauren Chia (Janet).
L-R_ Natasha Hoeberigs (Magenta), Job Greuter (Riff Raff), Jason Donovan (Frank N Furter), Lauren Chia (Janet). | Photo by David Freeman
The star will be appearing in one of his famous musical roles

When it comes to his career, Jason Donovan has a touch of the Jekyll and Hydes.

There’s his teenage heartthrob Eighties pop and telly career, when he starred as Scott Robinson in Neighbours and duetted Especially for You with Kylie.

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Then there’s his raunchy turn as Dr Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, which is touring the UK and coming to the Edinburgh Playhouse from today until Saturday.

Perhaps this stark contrast explains why it's so much fun to see the 56-year-old - how is that possible? - play this cult character, with his blonde hair under a brassy wig, and chest hair sprouting enthusiastically out of a corset, as he belts out Sweet Transvestite.

When I speak to him, he’s at home in London, and relaxing before a UK tour date in Southend-on-Sea. He’s excited to soon be crossing the border to Edinburgh - a city he loves, since his son went to university here - and he’s looking forward to walking down Princes Street and going up Arthur’s Seat.

For now, he’s got a few hours to rest before going on stage.

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“I try to make sure I get a good sleep, before a show. Doing eight shows a week is a bit like being an athlete in a way,” he says. “It’s exhausting. You have to manage your day, try to exercise and stretch.”

However, as fast as rehearsing the lines and songs goes, Donovan already has the production - which has the longest continuous run of any musical in the world - down pat.

After all, he played Dr Frank N Furter back in 1998, on its 25th anniversary, so he was a shoo-in to revive the same part on the show’s 50th anniversary.

“Rocky's great in that way - a lot of it's still in me. I don't like to say that I don't have to think hard, but that character comes to me,” he says. “Sometimes that can be a trap, if you know something too well, that can also have issues. But I prefer to be on that side of the scale than constantly hanging on with anxiety. I feel the songs, my voice and the character stretches me, but it's like I get to be a rock star in a rock band.”

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He’s a natural in the part, but I wonder if Donovan’s children - Jemma, 24, Zac, 23 and Molly, 13 - are weirded out by seeing their father dressed up in fishnets. Apparently not. “That’s just what dad does,” he says, in reference to his varied arts career. In a way, the role is his offspring’s origin story, since Donovan met his wife, Angela Malloch, who was a stage manager for the show, back at his original stint in the late Nineties.

He has been open about the fact that meeting her and having the children sorted him out, after a period of going slightly off the rails, post pop career.

The kids wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Rocky. “That’s the truth. There’s a lot to be grateful for,” he says.

Jason DonovanJason Donovan
Jason Donovan | Rocky Horror Show

Of course, The Rocky Horror Show isn’t like any other musical. It’s known for its cult following, with a large proportion of the audience dressing up in Latex and feathers.

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However, according to Donovan, when it comes to audience participation and doing the Time Warp, the Australian fans, who he performed to on tour last year, aren’t quite as animated as the UK ones. You could imagine that, even here, the enthusiasm might have waned for a 50-something show.

Apparently it’s quite the opposite.

“In 1998, I don't think it was quite as crazy as it is now,” he says. “I think, with the internet and social media, that only exacerbates the sort of frenzy of call outs. It keeps us on our toes, it also gives us a lot of energy, that sort of call and response.”

This show won’t be the only reason for Donovan to visit Scotland in 2025.

He’ll also be bringing his Doin’ Fine tour to Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall on March 10, before appearing at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall on March 17. This show has been 18 months in the making, and will include an assortment of his favourite tunes.

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“It’ll be a lot of songs that people know and that have been tucked into my catalogue,” he says. “I've got a couple of the covers that I've always wanted to do. I’ve been selfish with this one, doing a lot of things I want to do. There will be a few musical numbers in there. I'm sure Sweet Transvestite will keep the Rocky fans happy. And there's a little moment with my dad that I think is going to come off,” says Donovan, whose father is 82-year-old actor Terence Donovan.

He’s keeping schtum about what this appearance might involve, and the covers that he might be performing. However, when we chat about today’s pop music, Donovan tells me that he likes Coldplay and he thinks that Sam Fender has ‘got a great message’, so you never know.

Apparently, the most requested songs whenever he tours include 1989’s Too Many Broken Hearts and Any Dream Will Do from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - another musical that Donovan starred in, back in 1990.

It is strange, in middle-age, to be constantly revisiting songs that he first performed in his teens and early twenties?

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“I do other stuff, so that keeps me going. It’s an interesting thing, repetition, because I don't care who you are, or how famous a musician you are. I'm sure David Bowie got bored of singing Heroes, but probably not so bored when he received the cheque. That’s where it all makes sense,” he laughs. “An audience loves to hear songs that they know, and it’s the same with something like Rocky.”

He’s also had to revisit his Neighbours role.

Back in 2022, along with Kylie Minogue, Donovan appeared on the ‘last ever’ episode, though the reports of its demise were greatly exaggerated, as the long-running series has since been revived by Amazon Freevee. He seems quite pleased about that false alarm.

As he says, “I'm happy that it is back on screens again, and I hope it lasts.”

And, if anyone knows anything about longevity, it’s him.

For The Rocky Horror Show tickets, see www.rockyhorror.co.uk

For more information on the Doin’ Fine tour, see www.jasondonovan.com

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