Craig McLachlan to Lead Australian ROCKY HORROR SHOW National Tour; Launches 10 Jan. 2014 from Brisbane

Producers Howard Panter and John Frost today announced that the coveted role of Frank N Furter in the new Australian production of Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show will be played by television and theatre star Craig McLachlan. The much loved iconic musical will open in January 2014 at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC, Brisbane followed by seasons at the Crown Theatre, Perth in February, and the Festival Theatre, Adelaide in March.

Fresh from shooting the title role in the second series of ABC TV's top rating drama series The Doctor Blake Mysteries, McLachlan will again don the fishnet stockings of the character he played to great acclaim previously. Remaining cast members will be announced shortly.

"There is no one who can play the character of Frank N Furter like Craig McLachlan," said John Frost and Howard Panter. "Craig oozes that risqué charm that an actor playing Frank needs, as well as bucket loads of sex appeal. He captivated all of us in the audition room and we instantly knew Craig had to play Frank in our new production of The Rocky Horror Show. Audiences are going to love doing the Time Warp with Craig again."

The Rocky Horror Show is a true classic and one of theatre's most endearing and outrageously fun shows. It opened at London's Royal Court Theatre on June 19, 1973, quickly developing a cult following, and was adapted into the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which has the longest-running release in film history. This iconic brand holds a unique place in theatre history, a show which has defied the decades and continued to grow in popularity. In 2010 the music of Rocky Horror was showcased in the smash hit TV show Glee, seen by over 20 million people world wide. Rocky Horror even has its own postage stamp.

Millions of people all over the world have and continue to see productions of The Rocky Horror Show and sung along to classics like Sweet Transvestite, Dammit Janet, I Can Make You A Man, Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me, Over At The Frankenstein Place and of course The Time Warp.

Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show has not been seen in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide for 15 years. Tickets go on sale on Monday September 2. If you have voyeuristic intentions, you know what to do - buy a ticket for a night of fun, frolics and frivolity before madness takes its toll.

Craig McLachlan is one of Australia's most versatile actors and a household name both here and in the UK. He has been the recipient of the top Australian television accolade, the coveted Gold Logie and his stage production of Grease held the UK West End all time box office record from 1993 right up to earlier this year.

He is an actor of huge range who is equally comfortable in film, television or stage productions. Craig not only carries with him huge personal charisma but is also not afraid to use it, which might account for his singular popularity across a wide range of audience demographics both in Australia and internationally.

Craig first appeared on television in a guest role on the TV drama Sons And Daughters in 1986. He became famous in 1987 in the role of Henry Ramsay, brother of Kylie Minogue's character Charlene, in Neighbours, a role which not only garnered him significant praise both in Australia and the UK but also led to an offer two years later to play schoolteacher Grant Mitchell on Home And Away, thereby becoming one of the few actors to achieve popularity in all of the major Australian television dramas.

Craig has also had major success as a singer and songwriter, achieving Australian and UK hit singles with such songs as Amanda (AUS#23 / UK#19, 1990) and On My Own (AUS#23, 1991) and the now classic remake of the Bo Diddley song Mona (AUS#3 / UK#2, 1990).

In 1993 Craig was invited to London to star as Danny Zuko in the popular West End revival of the musical Grease alongside Deborah Gibson, a role he played to great acclaim. If this wasn't enough in 1995 Craig appeared in the popular British television series Bugsas a freelance agent and electronics expert who, along with his colleagues, worked covertly to combat terrorist threats. Proving that his abilities extended beyond television series and stage productions he appeared in the major television movie Catherine The Greatalongside Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jeanne Moreau and Omar Sharif.

In 2001 Craig had a breakthrough with the American movie Superfire, the first of many US attached performances, and in 2004 took the role of Kane Morgan in the popular show McLeod's Daughters. In 2005 he starred as Jeff Kennard in the successful Australian film Hating Alison Ashley with fellow Neighbours star Delta Goodrem, and then returned to London to take over the role of Caracticus Potts in the London Palladium production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, with Richard O'Brien as the Child Catcher. O'Brien had long been a fan of Craig's ever since Craig played Richards greatest creation, Fran N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show in 2003.

Craig's star shows no sign of diminishing, demonstrated by his appearance as Billy Flynn in Australia and Asia in Chicago, as well as roles in the hit series City Homicide, The Cut, as the handsome gay gardener in the award winning production At Home With Julia, and returning for a second season of the comedy Lowdown for the ABC. He has appeared regularly in the Network Seven hit TV series Packed To The Rafters as aging rocker StEve Wilson, and was cast in Rescue Special Ops series 4 as the ultra-competitive Hayden Bradley.

In 2011 Craig had a guest starring role for CBS television's NCIS: Los Angeles appearing with Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J. In 2011 as well, British group Rixxel Kicks sampled McLachlan's Mona for their single Mama Do The Hump, making #2 on the Singles Chart.

Craig McLachlan returned to Australia in 2012 to commence filming on The Doctor Blake Mysteries playing the title role of Lucien Blake for ABC Australia/ITV UK. This series became ABC's most watched drama for many years. In 2013 he joined the cast of House Husbands as the roguish Damo for Channel 9 and is currently shooting series two of The Doctor Blake Mysteries.

For more information and the full tour itinerary, visit www.rockyhorrormusical.com.au.

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